Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on Tuesday called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make public the findings of a Justice Department task force whose jurisdiction spans from marijuana policy to civil asset forfeiture.
Sessions formed the “Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety” in February after Trump demanded it in an executive order. In April, Sessions announced the broad purview of the task force’s “variety of subcommittees,” including “violent crime reduction,” “charging,” “sentencing,” “marijuana,” “our use of asset forfeiture,” “hate crimes” and “immigration enforcement and human trafficking.”
On July 26, Sessions announced that the task force had “provided me with recommendations on a rolling basis,” but didn’t specify what they were.
Wyden wasn’t pleased: “Americans remain in the dark about the content of the task force’s recommendations, and which of your actions as attorney general are being based on these recommendations,” he wrote. “It is concerning to see this administration failing, once again, to be transparent and straightforward with the American people about the motivations behind its policy shifts.”
Sessions has already changed the official DOJ line on several issues addressed by the task force, including civil asset forfeiture — seizing individuals’ property even without them being charged or found guilty of a crime.
Wyden expressed particular concern about the task force’s recommendations concerning marijuana, of which Sessions is known not to be a fan.
“The citizens of Oregon voted to legalize medical and recreational marijuana, and it is not the role of the attorney general to unilaterally undermine the will of Oregon voters on the basis of uncorroborated claims and furtive recommendations made by a task force shielded from public input and scrutiny,” he wrote.
H/t The Hill.
