There is no evidence of voter fraud or other irregularities that could substantially impact the election, 16 federal prosecutors charged with investigating election crimes have said in a letter to Attorney General William Barr, NBC News reported early Saturday.
The assistant U.S. attorneys who are District Election Officers also urged Barr to rescind a controversial memo issued Monday that authorized prosecutors "to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections." That is a change from a Justice Department policy.
They wrote in the letter that the policy change "was not based in fact"; that in their jurisdictions there is no evidence of substantial allegations; and that their understanding is that a Justice Department section in charge of national oversight of election fraud hasn't seen any such evidence, either.
"The timing of the announcement inserts all of us into a partisan political debate," the assistant U.S. attorneys wrote. They said the policy change "has and will engender speculation that it was motivated by partisan political concerns." The head of the Justice Department's Election Crimes Branch has resigned that position to protest the Barr memo.
The letter from the assistant U.S. attorneys was reported earlier Friday by The Washington Post.