DOJ opens probe after left-wing DA requires prosecutors to consider race in plea deals

The Justice Department has opened a civil rights assessment into the Minneapolis-area Hennepin County Attorney s Office s new directive for its prosecutors to consider race when negotiating plea deals with criminal defendants Attorney General Pam Bondi Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle and Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon informed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a letter that the Justice Department is opening a probe into whether the Hennepin County Attorney s Office engaged in a pattern of practice of depriving persons of rights privileges or immunities secured or protect by the Constitution or laws of the United States The letter dated May cited Moriarty s in recent days adopted Negotiations Plan for Cases Involving Adult Defendants which instructs prosecutors to consider race when formulating plea offers stating that racial identity should be part of the overall analysis and that prosecutors should be identifying and addressing racial disparities at decision points as appropriate In particular the inspection will focus on whether HCAO engages in illegal consideration of race in its prosecutorial decision-making they noted announced in the letter which Dhillon shared on X SOROS PROSECUTOR RIPPED FOR FAILING TO CHARGE WALZ STAFFER OVER TESLA VANDALISM 'TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM'Bondi Mizelle and Dhillon announced their scrutiny will include a comprehensive review of all relevant HCAO policies and practices that may involve the illegal consideration of race in prosecutorial decision-making Dhillon has also authorized a full examination to determine whether the HCAO is engaged in a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights privileges or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States Please be assured that we have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the review their letter addressed to Moriarty explained We will consider all relevant information and we welcome your assistance in helping to identify what that might be We would appreciate your cooperation in our analysis In our years enforcing civil rights statutes involving state and local law enforcement agencies we have worked with jurisdictions of all sizes across the nation to resolve investigations usually without contested litigation LEFT-WING DA FORCING PROSECUTORS TO CONSIDER 'RACIAL IDENTITY' IN PLEA DEALSThe letter declared the Civil Rights Division s Special Litigation Sections will oversee the analysis and will be in contact with Moriarty shortly to set up a mutually agreeable date and time to discuss the parameters of this probe including the scope of information that we will be seeking from you Fox News Digital reached out to Moriarty's office and the DOJ for comment on Sunday Moriarty was elected among a wave of progressive district attorneys who took office following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests and riots She has been backed by groups tied to money from megadonor George Soros one of the most of prominent backers of progressive issues in the United States The former chief citizens defender for the county Moriarty became the Hennepin County Attorney in January after promising to deliver on holding police accountable in the population where Floyd was killed Moriarty s two immediate predecessors had been in office for a combined years and her promises of dramatic changes had the backing of the state Democratic Party and neighborhood leaders Since then however Moriarty has faced fierce backlash even among a few former supporters as critics questioned decisions to seek lighter sentences for violent crimes in particular cases and to divert more people to programs rather than jail Police officers local authorities and various progressive activists condemned Moriarty after she charged a White state trooper with the killing of a Black man last summer only to later reverse subject and drop the charges Leaders of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association had waged a high-profile campaign urging Tim Walz the state s governor and former Democratic vice presidential nominee to reassign the prosecution away from Moriarty CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLast month Republicans across the North Star State condemned Moriarty for failing to charge a Walz staffer who allegedly vandalized at least six Tesla vehicles President Donald Trump's administration has identified Tesla vandalism as domestic terrorism and led a nationwide effort alongside the Justice Department to hold vandals accountable Fox News Digital's Deirdre Heavy Andrew Mark Miller and the Associated Press contributed to this record