Republican lawmakers are up in arms over a new Justice Department directive allowing the federal government to take assets that were lawfully seized by local or state law enforcement officials.
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Conservatives are trashing Jeff Sessions' controversial asset-seizure program
"The DOJ seems determined to lose in court before it changes its policies for the better."
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Civil asset forfeiture is unjust and unconstitutional," tweeted Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan. "It's a big-government scheme to take people's property without due process. End it."
"This is a troubling decision for the due-process protections afforded to us under the Fourth Amendment as well as the growing consensus we’ve seen nationwide on this issue," Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California said in a statement. "Criminals shouldn’t be able to keep the proceeds of their crime, but innocent Americans shouldn’t lose their right to due process, or their private property rights, in order to make that happen."
President Donald Trump has previously expressed opposition to weakening the program, after hearing from several sheriffs who complained that they faced pressure in February.
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"I'd like to look into that," Trump said. "There's no reason for that."
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