US Justice Dept. Takes A Break From Investigating Itself
The Financial Times piece quietly notes the US Justice Department isn't probing an ICE agent involved in a shooting, even as 'Democratic mayor and governor made subject to federal probes amid protests in Minnesota over killing of Renee Good.' This selective enforcement raises eyebrows, but perhaps not for those accustomed to the long, storied history of federal agencies investigating—or pointedly
*not* investigating—their own. Remember the DOJ's brisk investigations into the 'enhanced interrogation techniques' (read: torture) employed by the CIA post-9/11? Or the countless instances where police officers involved in fatal shootings are rarely, if ever, charged by federal authorities? It appears the bar for federal attention is significantly lower for local officials protesting
institutional violence than it is for those wielding the federal government's own firearms. One might conclude that 'justice' is less about impartiality and more about protecting federal assets, especially when public outrage flares. After all, why investigate your own agents when you can just investigate the local politicians trying to manage the fallout?