Thread by @weareoversight

As we celebrate #Juneteenth, the country is in the midst of what many have termed a national reckoning with racism.

Demonstrations against police brutality and systematic racism have continued, and the Trump administration's response has been both harmful and insufficient.

The executive order on policing Trump signed this week has been widely viewed as falling far short of the transformational change needed.

The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice created by Bill Barr in January is also insufficient.

The Commission is composed of only current or former law enforcement officials — no civil rights groups, reform advocates, or others who stray from the administration's standard "law and order" line.

The commission has not solicited adequate input from the public, affected communities, or criminal justice reform experts; nor has it been transparent in its meetings or working papers.

Thursday, we, along with @fjp_fairandjust, co-authored an amicus curiae brief in support of the @NAACP_LDF lawsuit challenging the commission's legality under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

americanoversight.org/document/amicu…

FACA requires all federal committees to maintain a diverse and balanced membership, and to allow public access to their work.

Barr's excessive focus on "law and order" is also a part of our investigation into the administration's response to ongoing protests.

We've filed a numerous FOIA with federal law enforcement agencies regarding the use of force — reportedly ordered by Barr — against peaceful protesters near the White House on June 1, and are also investigating the surveillance of demonstrators.

americanoversight.org/documents?fwp_…