Prosecutors ask Barr to rescind memo on U.S. vote counting irregularities - Washington Post

[November 14, 2020]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors are asking Attorney General William Barr to rescind a memo issued earlier this week that instructed them to publicly investigate "substantial" allegations of vote counting irregularities, saying they have not seen the unusual activity, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr listens during a roundtable discussion with law enforcement hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2020. Picture taken June 8, 2010. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The 16 assistant U.S. attorneys specially assigned to monitor the presidential election this month also said Barr's Monday memorandum had thrust prosecutors into partisan politics and that the policy change was not based in fact, according to the Post, which saw a copy of the letter.

Barr sent his memo after days of attacks on the integrity of the election by President Donald Trump and Republican allies, who have alleged without evidence that there was widespread voter fraud. Trump has not conceded the election to Democrat Joe Biden who on Saturday secured more than the 270 votes in the Electoral College needed to win the presidency.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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