A Justice Department watchdog criticized Attorney General William P. Barr for a “chaotic and disorganized” response to the demonstrations spurred by George Floyd’s murder in 2020 — but found that he did not order the forced removal of protesters from a park near the White House.
The four-year investigation covers one of the most polarizing moments of Donald J. Trump’s presidency: his decision on June 1, 2020, to walk from the Rose Garden through Lafayette Park, which federal law enforcement officers had violently cleared of protesters, for a Bible-brandishing photo opportunity at a nearby church.
Video taken that day showed Mr. Barr, known for his aggressive, hands-on management style, conferring with officials in the park just before Mr. Trump strode through with a small entourage, including Mr. Barr, to pose in front of damage inflicted on St. John’s Church by demonstrators.
But Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, found that Mr. Barr was, at that moment, not in the chain of command at the scene, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The clearing of the park by baton-wielding officers, some on horseback — with a handful of Justice Department employees providing support — was directed by the Park Police and the Secret Service, not the Justice Department, the report added.
“We found that the decision to clear the area of protesters on the evening of June 1 was made by the U.S.P.P. and U.S.S.S. unified command at Lafayette Park and not by Barr, and that Barr did not impact the timing of the clearing operation,” Mr. Horowitz wrote in an exhaustive 168-page report that included more than 100 interviews.
