The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department manipulated crime data to make crime rates appear lower in the district than they actually were, according to news reports Tuesday.
The investigation comes after the MPD settled a retaliation lawsuit from a whistleblower several weeks ago, who alleged the crime statistics were manipulated.
President Donald Trump, who federalized the MPD last week, has accused the city of providing false crime statistics to improve its image and to give a “false illusion of safety.”
The investigation is being run through U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro’s office.
