The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) inspector general, Michael Horowitz, says his office is looking into whether officials at the department tried to “alter” the results of the 2020 presidential election.
A statement from Horowitz’s office read, “The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an investigation into whether any former or current DOJ official engaged in an improper attempt to have DOJ seek to alter the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election.”
“The investigation will encompass all relevant allegations that may arise that are within the scope of the OIG’s jurisdiction. The OIG has jurisdiction to investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current DOJ employees. The OIG’s jurisdiction does not extend to allegations against other government officials,” the statement continued.
Horowitz’s comments come days after it was reported that former President Donald Trump pressed DOJ officials to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the results of the presidential election.
Trump made unfounded claims that widespread voter fraud cost him his reelection bid.
His campaign, and allies, filed dozens of lawsuits that failed to overturn the results. Trump also asked state officials to “find” votes to overturn the results of the election and supported Congressional Republicans’ plans to rejected electoral votes from states that he lost.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump considered removing Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and installing Jeffrey Clark, an ally of Trump at DOJ who worked to advance the president’s claims of voter fraud, in a bid to pressure Georgia’s officials to overturn the state’s election results.
The Times said that the threat of mass resignations if Trump went through with the plan led him to decide against replacing Rosen.
Clark told the paper that its report contained information that was not accurate but did not explain what portions were wrong.
“Senior Justice Department lawyers, not uncommonly, provide legal advice to the White House as part of our duties,” Clark said, adding, “All my official communications were consistent with law.”
