Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) shared her reaction to a report indicating Attorney General William Barr asked federal prosecutors to consider bringing charges against her for her handling of protesters.
On Wednesday, Durkan took to Twitter with a statement sounding off about a report published by The New York Times which detailed Barr’s alleged actions to hold her accountable for the autonomous zone established in Seattle amid the protests following the death of George Floyd.
As she described the report as “chilling,” she also expressed concern that Barr’s alleged actions appear to be an attempt to “subvert the law and use the [Justice Department (DOJ)] for political purposes.”
This report is chilling and the latest abuse of power from the Trump administration. This is not a story about me. It’s about the how this President and his Attorney General are willing to subvert the law and use the DOJ for political purposes.https://t.co/vPJJwuB5az
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) September 17, 2020
Durkan went on to express concern about Barr’s alleged usage of the Department of Justice. According to Durkan, a weaponized DOJ does not reflect a “democracy,” but rather a “tyranny.”
“The DOJ cannot become a political weapon operated at the behest of the President to target those who have spoken out against his actions. That is an act of tyranny, not of democracy,”
She added, “I will continue to fight for what I believe is right, and I will not be distracted by these threats from meeting the challenges facing our great city: a pandemic, an economic crisis, a climate crisis, and a civil rights reckoning.”
As a former U.S. Attorney, I took an oath of office to protect the Constitution. The DOJ cannot become a political weapon operated at the behest of the President to target those who have spoken out against his actions. That is an act of tyranny, not of democracy.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) September 17, 2020
I will continue to fight for what I believe is right, and I will not be distracted by these threats from meeting the challenges facing our great city: a pandemic, an economic crisis, a climate crisis, and a civil rights reckoning.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) September 17, 2020
Durkan’s latest remarks follow ongoing criticism from President Donald Trump over her handling of the protests in Seattle.
The president previously took to Twitter with a series of tweets blasting Durkan and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s (D) handling of the intensifying protests.
Both Durkan and Inslee fired back at the president to defend their handling of the civil unrest in Seattle. At the time, Durkan’s office also released a statement in support of Seattle’s “long tradition of peaceful protest and advocacy for progressive change.”
“Seattle has a long tradition of peaceful protest and advocacy for progressive change, and Mayor Durkan strongly supports those rights. Mayor Durkan will continue to listen to leaders in Seattle’s Black community. She is working hard to translate the calls for change into real, tangible systemic changes to policing and all the other systems needed for strong and healthy communities.”
Despite the president’s criticism, Inslee and Durkan ultimately moved in to dismantle the autonomous zone.
