By Jan Wolfe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. government watchdog said in a report issued on Wednesday the U.S. Park Police had the lawful authority to disperse protesters from a park near the White House ahead of a presidential photo opportunity by former President Donald Trump in June 2020.
The report, by the U.S. Interior Department’s inspector general, said that when federal police officers violently cleared demonstrators from Lafayette Park on June 1, 2020 they did it so a contractor could install fencing and not so Trump could pose for photographs at a nearby church.
The report is likely to draw criticism from congressional leaders and District of Columbia officials, who have faulted federal agents for their use of pepper spray to clear protesters from the square and street.
“We found that the USPP had the authority and discretion to clear Lafayette Park and the surrounding areas on June 1,” the government watchdog said in a summary of its findings. “The evidence we obtained did not support a finding that the USPP cleared the park to allow the President to survey the damage and walk to St. John’s Church.”
The report recommended U.S. Park Police develop more detailed policies for dispersing crowds, and improve coordination between federal agencies.
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Chris Reese and Steve Orlofsky)
