Simon Ateba covers the White House, the U.S. government, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions for Today News Africa in Washington D.C. Simon can be reached on simonateba@todaynewsafrica.com
The United States Justice Department official who oversees investigations of voter fraud resigned on Monday night, just hours after Attorney general William Barr authorized federal prosecutors to pursue allegations of voting irregularities raised by President Donald Trump, despite little evidence.
Richard Pilger stepped down from the post post, according to an email he sent to colleagues that was obtained by The New York Times.
Pilger, who has been the director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Department of Justice since 2010, submitted his resignation shortly after Barr announced the controversial federal support for ‘massive fraud’ investigations that have been pushed by President Trump without any evidence.
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The announcement came before the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden is certified.
Pilger told colleagues he would move to a nonsupervisory role prosecuting corruption cases in the department’s Public Integrity Section.
“Having familiarized myself with the new policy and ramifications, I must regrettably resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch,” Pilger wrote to colleagues in an email obtained by the New York Times.
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