Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr created security risks by deploying unprepared federal law enforcement officers to respond to racial justice protests near the White House in 2020, according to a Justice Department review released on Wednesday. The report highlights Barr’s actions in responding to protests in Washington following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked a global wave of protests.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz expressed concerns over the decision-making by department leadership. He noted that DOJ law enforcement agents and elite tactical units were assigned missions without proper equipment and training. Horowitz emphasized that Barr’s leadership led to a “chaotic and disorganized” response, creating safety and security risks for both agents and the public.
Barr declined to be interviewed for the report, and he did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear racial justice protesters near the White House. Following this, then-President Donald Trump walked to a nearby church and posed for a photograph holding a Bible. Black Lives Matter protesters sued the government, and the Justice Department settled four such lawsuits in 2022, promising changes in law enforcement policies for responding to demonstrations.
The report revealed that Barr personally ordered Bureau of Prisons tactical teams to be deployed to the scene. Barr aimed to demonstrate that law enforcement could handle the civil unrest without active-duty military intervention. The report criticized this decision, stating that prison employees received “no guidance as to their mission or rules of engagement.” Despite the head of public affairs for the Justice Department stating that Barr ordered law enforcement to move on the protesters, Horowitz’s investigation found no evidence to support this claim.
In a statement to investigators, Barr claimed that the deployment of law enforcement personnel was “exceptionally well executed.” He added that the officials he worked with understood the objective and that “none expressed to me any confusion over their assignments or concern about their ability to carry them out.”
