DOJ taking a break from challenging voter ID?
Via KRTV
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a letter of findings on Friday which states that there is “substantial evidence that the County Attorney’s response to sexual assault discriminates against women.”
The findings come just days after Missoula County filed a federal lawsuit challenging DOJ’s legal authority.
The questions leveled by Michael Cotter, the U.S. District Attorney for Montana, were initially directed at the University of Montana, Missoula Police Department, and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office following complaints of sexual assaults both off and on-campus two years ago.
But while both UM and the Missoula Police Department accepted settlements with Cotter, Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg has continued to question DOJ’s jurisdiction over operations in a local prosecutors’ office.
Last month he told county commissioners that the DOJ has also offered no proof of gender bias, with the county deciding to reject a proposed settlement. Earlier this week, Van Valkenburg filed a federal lawsuit to press the jurisdiction question.