D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is suing President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in federal court, calling their latest law enforcement move a “hostile takeover” of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department.
At the center of the fight is Bondi’s emergency order appointing DEA Director Terry Cole as the acting police commissioner. The directive gives Cole full operational control over MPD — effectively sidelining Police Chief Pamela Smith.
According to Law & Crime, that’s what prompted the lawsuit:
At the start of the week, President Donald Trump, flanked by members of his cabinet, Bondi included, declared that the feds would crack down on “violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people” through the deployment of D.C.’s National Guard, FBI agents, and ICE on the streets of the nation’s capital — at the same time placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) “under direct federal control” for at least 30 days.
In an executive order, Trump cited, as one authority, Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, which pertains to the Emergency Control of Police.
Trump declared that “special conditions of an emergency nature exist” that justified the “use” of MPD for “federal purposes” of “maintaining law and order,” protecting federal buildings and property, and “ensuring conditions necessary for the orderly functioning of the Federal Government.”
Schwalb, backed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser — currently enjoying the late summer breeze in Martha’s Vineyard — argues that Bondi’s move exceeds the limits of the D.C. Home Rule Act.
That law gives the president limited authority in emergencies to use local police for federal missions. But, according to the 33-page complaint, it stops short of allowing the federal government to seize full control of the local police department.
The lawsuit asks the court for an emergency restraining order to stop Bondi’s directives from being enforced and to ensure Chief Smith remains in charge of MPD.
It comes after Trump also triggered the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops and rolled back D.C.’s sanctuary city policies, reopening cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
While the White House remains defiant, D.C. officials are painting this as the most serious threat to local self-governance the District has faced in decades.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
READ NEXT: Terrifying Development At ICE HQ Sparks Furious Response
The DemCommie party is nothing more than a domestic terrorist group.
Existing police authorities were not doing their job. Fire them all!
DC Can and is now close to losing their status and revert to Federal Control by Congress. I think that never should have happened in the first place. It has been 100 percent run into the ground by the 100 percent democratic mayors.