A new report from AP says federal prosecutors weighed bringing charges against public officials in the wake of the rioting in Portland.
Portland officials, from the mayor to the district attorney, have repeatedly and publicly refused to crack down against the rioting.
The revelation that federal officials researched whether they could levy criminal or civil charges against the officials — exploring whether their rhetoric and actions may have helped spur the violence in Portland — underscores the larger Trump administration’s effort to spotlight and crack down on protest-related violence. The majority of the mass police reform demonstrations nationwide have been peaceful. . .
The department had done research on whether it could pursue the charges, spokesperson Kerri Kupec said. She declined to comment on the status or whether charges would be brought. But bringing criminal civil rights charges against city officials for protest-related violence would likely present an uphill court battle for federal prosecutors.
The department did not comment about whether and charges were pending or the status of any investigations in to the matter.
Recommended: The View from Here
What they have commented on is the numbers of people charged with federal crimes in connection with the rioting in Portland. More than 100 have been arrested and charged under federal law in Portland, and 300 nationality. Compare that to the 100 arrested and 70 charged by local authorities in Portland.