Washington, DC Attorney General Brian Schwarb is urging President Donald Trump and his top law enforcement officials to take federal control of the police department in the capital. He argues that current legislation “does not allow the president to take control.”
Schwarb has appointed Attorney General Pam Bondy, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance Cole, and former U.S. Secret Service Director Gadias S. Seralta to their positions as of Friday. Litigation is claiming that the Trump administration has overstepped its bounds as outlined in Washington, DC. Home Rules Act.
According to Section 740 of the Act, the President can request the mayor to provide Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) services for “federal purposes.”
Schwarb contends that Section 740 “does not permit the President to seize control of the MPD nor instruct the MPD to act on local crime matters. Congress intended for local leaders to handle these responsibilities.”
Interestingly, Mayor Muriel Bowser has already had discussions with Bondy. She mentioned that their dialogue was “productive” and indicated that the federal government plans to collaborate with local authorities to “restore safety in Washington, DC.”
In fact, Bowser’s legal team reportedly believes that they “don’t see a strong enough basis to contest President Trump’s declaration regarding the DC crime emergency,” adding that “we are not capitulating to a federal takeover of the police department.”
Trump has introduced the much-anticipated “Day of Liberation” announcement, stating that he invoked Section 740 to place the MPD directly under federal control and has mobilized the National Guard to address crime issues.
Bondi and Cole mentioned on Thursday that DEA administrators will take on “the responsibilities traditionally held by the District of Columbia Police Chief.”
She further noted that the MPD needs “approval from the commissioner” before any orders can be issued.
Schwarb’s lawsuit seeks to block Cole’s appointment as the emergency police chief, advocating for Bowser and MPD Chief Pamerasmith to maintain control.
The lawsuit stresses that “there is no greater risk to public safety than uncertainty about who is in command of a large, professional police force like the MPD.”
Notably, the 33-page complaint does not challenge Trump’s actions regarding other crime-fighting initiatives, such as deploying 800 National Guard personnel across the city.
