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Rep. Cynthia McKinney (AP Photo/W.A. Harewood) |
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A federal prosecutor has been accused of refusing to prosecute a House member who struck a police officer.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein was said to have walked away from a decision over whether to file charges against Rep. Cynthia McKinney. On March 29, Ms. McKinney, in an incident witnessed by at least two House aides, was said to have struck a Capitol Hill police officer when she refused to walk through a metal detector.
The Washington-based Judicial Watch sent a letter to Mr. Wainstein, saying that Ms. McKinney, Georgia Democrat, was given preferential treatment based on her position and potential to turn the episode into a race issue. The conservative legal lobby argued that anybody else would have been arrested and charged with assault.
“It raises the disturbing concern that Rep. McKinney is being given special treatment by your office because of her status as a congresswoman and because of her attempts to corruptly inject race into this matter,” the April 4 letter by Judicial Watch said.
Police said Ms. McKinney failed to identify herself as she sought to bypass metal detectors at the Capitol building. She refused three directives of a police officer, who did not recognize the House member, to walk through the metal detector.
When the officer sought to detain her, Ms. McKinney was said to have struck him in the chest. Later, she accused the officer of “inappropriate touching” and said she was targeted because she was black and female. Days later, pressed by the Congressional Black Caucus, she apologized on the House floor.
Ms. McKinney has repeatedly accused the White House as well as her rivals of racism. She has sought support from Saudi Arabia, and in 2001 offered to find charities that would accept an offer of $10 million from a Saudi prince.
“McKinney is getting special treatment,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “Anyone else would have been facing charges and likely have been arrested by now. Wainstein could have decided, based on the evidence, to charge McKinney on his own, but instead chose to wipe his hands of the matter and toss it off to a grand jury.” | 
