The Justice Department's investigation into alleged manipulation of crime statistics by Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department is reportedly expanding.
Metro Police Commander Michael Pulliam was placed on leave in May amid allegations he altered crime data. Federal officials are now expected to examine whether other local officials were involved, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The report followed Trump's teasing of the investigation last week and the announcement of the probe Monday on Truth Social.
"D.C. gave fake crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety," Trump wrote. "This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing! Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe 'city' in the United States, and perhaps the world.
"Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour! People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!"
D.C. Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser has repeatedly referenced the alleged fudged crime numbers in claiming her city did not need Trump's federal assistance, including National Guard troops that will reportedly start being armed in her city.
"We are not experiencing a spike in crime," Bowser claimed on MSNBC earlier this month. "In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down."
Meanwhile, D.C. Police Union Chairman Gregg Pemberton is watching Bowser and those allegedly cooking the books and calling out the misinformation, citing the calls his officers are attending to in reality — even if the data might be misrepresented on paper.
"The department is reporting crime went down 35% last year and another 25% this year," Pemberton told the Post. "That is preposterous. We know the calls we're responding to."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.