Sen. Tom Cotton says DOJ quiet on Waukesha while actively 'chilling free speech' of parents
Cotton juxtaposed the DOJ's pursuit of parents who speak out about school policies with its silence on Waukesha
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday demanding answers regarding how the Department of Justice plans to respond to the recent mass murder in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Cotton also juxtaposed the DOJ's pursuit of parents protesting at local school board meetings with the department's silence regarding the Waukesha massacre, when 39-year-old Darrell Brooks Jr. allegedly killed six people by plowing his SUV into a Christmas parade.
"The defendant in this case has spent more than two decades committing crimes, including a number of violent and sexual felonies, and had also reportedly shared anti-Semitic posts and called for violence against white people," Cotton wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., questions Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP) (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP)
"In October, you issued a memorandum to all United States Attorneys and to the FBI, directing them to bring a federal law enforcement presence to local school board meetings all across the country, despite a lack of any apparent federal crime or national outbreak of violence," Cotton continued.
"Yet, while you seemed to have no hesitation to prioritize chilling free speech from concerned parents, neither you nor the Department of Justice appear to have even issued a public statement about the mass murder in Waukesha. You have also issued no statements about the lenient bail policies that appear to have allowed this attack to take place," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cotton concluded his letter by demanding that Garland explain what the DOJ is doing to investigate or assist in the Waukesha investigation.
Cotton also asked to know if the Civil Rights Division plans to look into Brooks' alleged racist posts on social media, and he also asked if Garland has directed federal investigators to "take any actions to fill gaps in the criminal justice system left by soft-on-crime policies like the weakening or elimination of cash bail."
The DOJ did not respond to Fox News' request for comment in time for publication.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BIDEN HAS NO PLANS ‘AT THIS POINT IN TIME’ TO VISIT WAUKESHA AFTER CHRISTMAS PARADE ATTACK
Prosecutors have charged Brooks with six counts of intentional first-degree homicide. He is being held on $5 million cash bail and faces up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Waukesha parade suspect Darrell Brooks arrives in court for his arraignment.
The White House on Monday said President Biden does not have any plans to visit Waukesha "at this point in time."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As you saw the president convey last week, our hearts go out to this community, to the people in Waukesha that we've been in touch, obviously, with officials there," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. "We're all watching as people are recovering, and this is such a difficult time of year for this to happen—it's difficult any time."
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Psaki clarified that "any president going to visit a community requires a lot of assets" and requires "taking their resources."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's not something that I have a trip to preview at this point in time," Psaki said. "But we remain in touch with local officials, and certainly our hearts are with the community as they've gone through such a difficult time."