Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has charged Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) with assaulting law enforcement officers outside an immigration detention center in her home state of New Jersey. In response, Ben Olinsky, senior vice president for Structural Reform and Governance at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
While the facts remain under review, these charges appear to be nothing more than a spurious attempt to intimidate a member of Congress who was trying to use her statutory right to investigate the treatment of detainees at a facility in her home state. The Constitution gives Rep. McIver and every other member of Congress the power to conduct oversight into matters that affect their constituents. Unfortunately, this decision by the Department of Justice follows a clear pattern of authoritarian moves by this administration to stifle dissent and exact revenge against those who dare to speak out against the president. It represents a dangerous attack on Congress and poses a serious threat to the checks and balances in our democracy.
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