Justice Department sought ways to arrest Portland officials on federal criminal charges

Portland in the smoke
(Image credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Justice Department officials dispute a report Wednesday in The New York Times that Attorney General William Barr asked federal prosecutors to find a way to bring criminal charges against Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) for allowing protesters to briefly set up a police-free zone east of downtown. But Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Thursday that the department has explored whether it can pursue criminal or civil rights charges against officials in Portland, Oregon, for weeks of protest-related violence.

Such charges "would likely present an uphill court battle for federal prosecutors," The Associated Press reports, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler shrugged off the threat as "ridiculous on its face." The Trump administration "has made the cynical decision that the suffering of others is politically beneficial, regardless of the cost," he said in a statement. "The people of this city — and throughout the nation — will not be intimidated."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.