Letter to the Hon. William Barr, U.S. Attorney General - Rep. Chip Roy Letter To AG Barr RE: Restoring Law And Order

Letter

Dear Attorney General Barr:
Extremist groups and violent rioters have seized on the legitimate protests of law-abiding
Americans as an opportunity to commit violence across our country in recent weeks. We
write to you to urge you to use every tool at your disposal at the Department of Justice to
stop these criminals and restore order to our streets.
As we continue to watch many of America's communities become overcome with
lawlessness that endangers life, liberty, and property, we call on the Department of Justice
to act. While we obviously respect states and localities to carry out the majority of the duty
to keep order on the streets, where criminal activity becomes organized, targets federal
property and memorials, or targets religious entities, there is an appropriate role for
greater action by federal law enforcement.
Just yesterday a violent mob gathered in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. and
attempted to drag down the historic statue of Andrew Jackson. Police arrived just in time
to stop it. As proof that only violence was on their mind, with no particular message to
convey, they shifted their target to a nearby church. They assaulted anyone standing in
their way, including journalists, and defaced the church with spray paint. This is just the
latest example of the violence, vandalism, and hate perpetrated by these criminals in
locations across the country.
Specifically, we are calling on the Department of Justice and the FBI to coordinate with all
appropriate federal agencies and state governments to address the following:
1. Stop the desecration or vandalism of any memorials, of any kind, on
federal property, in federal parks, or otherwise within the jurisdiction or
purview of federal authority. Prioritize the prosecution of these crimes
through U.S. Attorney's Offices, and seek significant jail time, for anyone
involved with such activity.
2. Defend America's churches, synagogues, and all religious organizations
under all applicable federal laws. Investigate and prosecute all threats,
conspiracies to commit crimes, and crimes committed in destruction of our
valued religious institutions. Prominent leftists have called for the specific
destruction of property, including religious monuments. Please investigate if
any crimes were committed by them or any other entities in coordination to
attack Houses of Worship, as well as the vandalism of historic St. John's
Church or any other churches.
3. End organized criminal activity by ANTIFA or any other group associated
with the rioting, lawlessness, murder, intimidation, looting, destruction,
vandalism, and all activity that is undermining order on our streets and in
our community. There is almost certainly coordinated activity with intent to
carry out crimes that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
under our organized crime statutes or otherwise.
Much of the violence is on video, from journalists and the rioters themselves, because they
have little fear of being caught and facing consequences. We urge you to use the full
resources of your office to prove them wrong and arrest, charges, and prosecute the
perpetrators under all applicable and appropriate federal laws.
As you know, the first order of our government under the Constitution is to secure the
blessings of liberty we recognize as inalienable. There can be no liberty without order. The
Department of Justice must ensure our laws are enforced.