The Justice Department’s inspector general has refused to investigate the prosecutors who brought a false vandalism case against Olympian David Hearn. The watchdog has passed the matter to another office inside the department, one that critics say is weaker and less independent.
\n\nIn an Oct. 21 letter, Hearn’s lawyers learned that Inspector General Don Berthiaume decided the allegations were outside his authority. He sent the matter to the Office of Professional Responsibility, according to CBS News, which saw the letter.
\n\nThat office was created after the Watergate scandal and looks into certain kinds of attorney misconduct. But it is not as independent as the inspector general’s office. The inspector general is picked by the president and confirmed by the Senate, while the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility is chosen by the Attorney General.
\n\nHearn’s attorneys say the office has also lost about half its staff since the Trump administration began. In their response, they wrote that it is “no longer a fully functioning entity capable of conducting rigorous oversight.” They argue the inspector general’s decision means an investigation “will simply not take place.”
\n\nPirro later dropped the case. She said new information showed the damage came from a…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/latest-news
