Seattle mayor says Barr's suggestions to charge her are 'chilling'

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Wednesday said a report that Attorney General William Barr suggested prosecutors consider filing charges against her are "chilling and the latest abuse of power from the Trump administration."

Posted 2:55 a.m. Sep 17, 2020 — Updated 2:55 a.m. Sep 17, 2020

Dan Berman

, CNN

CNN — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Wednesday said a report that Attorney General William Barr suggested prosecutors consider filing charges against her are "chilling and the latest abuse of power from the Trump administration."

Barr, The New York Times reported, asked prosecutors in the Justice Department's civil rights division to investigate if they could charge Durkan as a result of protests this summer, when some protesters established a police-free zone in downtown Seattle.

"The Department of Justice cannot become a political weapon operated at the behest of the President to target those who have spoken out against this administration's actions," Durkan, a former US attorney, said in a statement. "That is an act of tyranny, not of democracy."

"Ultimately, this is not a story about me. It is about the how this President and his Attorney General are willing to subvert the law and use the Department of Justice for political purposes," she added. "It is particularly egregious to try to use the civil rights laws to investigate, intimidate, or deter those that are fighting for civil rights in our country."

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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