WASHINGTON — In a memo circulated to field offices Tuesday morning, the Justice Department clarified that its longstanding internal policy prohibiting politically sensitive investigations within 60 days of an election contains a specific, permanent carve-out for the Minnesota Democrat.
According to sources close to leadership, the guidance was issued after agents expressed hesitation about executing a search warrant at the representative's residence so close to the midterms. The DOJ has traditionally observed the unwritten "60-day rule" to avoid taking overt investigative steps that could sway voters. The new directive explicitly reassured field teams that damaging the political prospects of this particular lawmaker does not meet the department’s definition of undue interference.
The 60-day rule is a cornerstone of our commitment to institutional neutrality, designed to protect the democratic process from the appearance of partisan weaponization.
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According to sources close to leadership, the guidance was issued after agents expressed hesitation about executing a search warrant at the representative's residence so close to the midterms. The DOJ has traditionally observed the unwritten "60-day rule" to avoid taking overt investigative steps that could sway voters. The new directive explicitly reassured field teams that damaging the political prospects of this particular lawmaker does not meet the department’s definition of undue interference.
The 60-day rule is a cornerstone of our commitment to institutional neutrality, designed to protect the democratic process from the appearance of partisan weaponization. Fortunately, those protections only apply to candidates the department actually wishes to protect, leaving us fully cleared to breach the congresswoman's front door.
Court filings unsealed Tuesday confirm the FBI had initially planned to delay the search until mid-November, before a senior aide noted the distinct lack of institutional downside to proceeding immediately. To demonstrate its ongoing commitment to election integrity, the department simultaneously announced it would strictly adhere to the 60-day rule by suspending all ongoing inquiries into sitting senators' stock portfolios until the polls have closed.