BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond asked President Trump and acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to stop the Department of Justice's investigation into the City of Broken Arrow.
The DOJ announced its investigation earlier this week, following Broken Arrow's decision to deny a zoning request for a proposed mosque earlier this year. City council members voted against the zoning request in a 4-1 vote, saying they were concerned about the feasibility of the project.
Thousands of people turned out to multiple public meetings leading up to the vote, sharing their concerns about the creation of a mosque in the community.
Following the vote, the Islamic Society of Tulsa said they planned to pursue legal action.
In his letter, Drummond asked Trump and Blanche to withdraw or suspend the investigation until Senate-confirmed leadership can review, require senior-level approval for any future investigative steps, withdraw demands targeting the speech and activities of private citizens, and work with the Oklahoma AG's office before taking any action against an Oklahoma municipality.
“The investigation is federal overreach of the first order,” Drummond said. “Land-use decisions such as this belong to state and locally elected officials who are accountable to the people they serve, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington. Oklahoma cities should not be subjected to sweeping federal investigations based on a single zoning decision when the DOJ itself acknowledges it has made no determination that federal law was violated.”
You can read Drummond's full letter here.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- 2 News Oklahoma on your schedule | Download on your TV, watch for free. How to watch on your streaming device
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
