Justice Department inspector general nominee refuses to call the Jan. 6 attack an ‘attack’

Inspectors general tend not to have especially high profiles, but these officials are responsible for rooting out corruption, ethical lapses and mismanagement in federal agencies throughout the government. It’s one of the reasons Donald Trump’s decision to fire so many inspectors general last year was so indefensible.

Making matters worse are some of the controversial figures the president has nominated to fill the vacancies he created. The Guardian reported this week, for example:

Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as a top independent watchdog at the Department of Justice has refused to call the January 6 insurrection an “attack” during questioning by US senators.

Don Berthiaume, a career justice department employee who has been serving as inspector general at the agency, faced senators as part of his confirmation process to take up the role permanently on Wednesday.

In fairness, it’s worth emphasizing that Berthiaume wasn’t considered a particularly controversial pick, at least not by the standards of this administration. But when Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut asked the nominee whether the Capitol was attacked on Jan. 6, the hearing went in an unexpected direction.

“I don’t know if I would use the term ‘attack’,” Berthiaume replied. “I mean, we had activity outside the Capitol, protests and such.”

Pressed further, the nominee again referenced “protest activity,” adding, “People entered the Capitol building, which is contrary, as far as I know, to law.”

Berthiaume simply wasn’t comfortable, however, describing the attack as an “attack.”

Blumenthal said questions like these were intended as a “as a test of your prospective independence, and so far I think you’re failing that test.”

As the Connecticut senator’s time wrapped up, he added, “I hope my colleagues will agree that the inspector general of the Department of Justice should recognize reality and facts for what they are.”

Berthiaume, who is already acting inspector general at the DOJ, is looking to succeed Michael Horowitz, who became the inspector general for the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last year.

The post Justice Department inspector general nominee refuses to call the Jan. 6 attack an ‘attack’ appeared first on MS NOW.