DC Attorney General Sues Trump Over Police Takeover Efforts

Lawsuit Filed Against Trump Administration

• 🏛️ DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's efforts to take over the city's police force.
• ⚖️ The lawsuit alleges that the administration stretched emergency authorities under the D.C. Home Rule Act beyond their intended scope.

Appointment of DEA Head as Police Commissioner

• 🚨 The core of the lawsuit concerns the appointment of DEA Administrator Terry Cole as MPD's new emergency police commissioner.
• 🚫 Attorney General Schwalb argues this appointment is unlawful and seeks to cancel it, restoring command to Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith.
• 🗣️ The filing describes the appointment as a "brazen usurpation of the district's authority over its own government."

Background and Previous Statements

• 📈 President Trump declared a crime emergency on August 11th, leading to efforts to surge law enforcement resources, including National Guard troops and the MPD takeover.
• 🎙️ Mayor Muriel Bowser initially stated that while the action was unsettling and unprecedented, she was not entirely surprised by the possibility of a legal challenge.
• 📜 The lawsuit also notes that the Attorney General's office had previously rescinded MPD policies limiting officers' cooperation with immigration enforcement.

Legal Proceedings and Current Status

• 🧑‍⚖️ The case has been assigned to US District Judge Anna Ray, an appointee of former President Biden.
• 📰 The Justice Department has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
• 📍 The lawsuit specifically addresses the MPD takeover and does not involve the National Guard's presence in the city, which has also ramped up.