Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press Tuesday that the Department of Justice did not find any evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the results of the 2020 election.
- “To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” Barr told the AP.
Context
The comments came despite repeated claims from President Donald Trump that the election was stolen from him, according to the AP. Barr has been considered “one of the president’s most ardent allies,” according to The Associated Press.
Per ABC News, Barr launched an investigation into voter fraud shortly after the election, telling prosecutors “to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities” in a situation where there was “clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual state.”
Trump campaign response
Trump’s campaign issued the following statement about Barr’s comments, attributed to Rudy Giuliani, attorney for President Trump, and Jenna Ellis, Trump campaign senior legal adviser and attorney for Trump.
“With all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation. We have gathered ample evidence of illegal voting in at least six states, which they have not examined. We have many witnesses swearing under oath they saw crimes being committed in connection with voter fraud. As far as we know, not a single one has been interviewed by the DOJ. The Justice Department also hasn’t audited any voting machines or used their subpoena powers to determine the truth.
“Nonetheless, we will continue our pursuit of the truth through the judicial system and state legislatures, and continue toward the Constitution’s mandate and ensuring that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is not. Again, with the greatest respect to the Attorney General, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”
Trump spoke about voter fraud in a Sunday interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, too, according to ABC News.
- “You would think, if you’re in the FBI or Department of Justice, this is — this is the biggest thing you could be looking at,” Trump said. “Where are they? I have not seen anything. I mean, I just — they just keep moving along, and they go on to the next president.”