Legal professional Basic William Barr appeared on Monday to make a bid to reassure backers of President Donald Trump who’ve complained bitterly in latest days that the Justice Division was not taking motion to fight alleged voter fraud and different election irregularities.

In a memo to U.S. attorneys, Barr approved them to open election-fraud investigations “if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, may doubtlessly influence the end result of a federal election in a person State.”

In Barr’s directive, obtained by POLITICO and first reported by The Related Press, the lawyer basic mentioned he had already authorized such probes “in particular cases.” He didn’t elaborate on the circumstances, these circumstances associated to the presidential race or whether or not they remained open.

Barr acknowledged that his new instruction departed from the same old Justice Division apply of not launching full-scale investigations into allegations of such fraud till after an election result’s licensed. Nonetheless, the lawyer basic mentioned that coverage made little sense in circumstances through which fraud that might have an effect on the end result of an election was suspected.

The wording of Barr’s memo left unclear whether or not it was largely a sop to the president’s supporters or whether or not it portends critical investigations into final week’s election, of which Joe Biden was declared the winner over Trump.

“Whereas critical allegations needs to be dealt with with nice care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims shouldn’t be a foundation for initiating federal inquiries,” Barr wrote. “Nothing right here needs to be taken as any indication that the Division has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the end result of any election.”

Some Barr critics contended the directive was little greater than posturing meant to gas misperceptions that voting fraud on any critical scale affected the 2020 presidential contest.

“Let’s be clear — that is about disruption, disinformation, and sowing chaos,” Vanita Gupta, who served as head of Justice’s Civil Rights Division beneath President Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter in response to phrase of Barr’s transfer. “Trump is livid, demanding all ‘his’ attorneys take motion. They haven’t any proof so that they’ll push the PR.”

“Voters determined election & overwhelmingly picked Biden,” added Gupta, now president of the Management Convention on Civil & Human Rights. “Election was safe & honest. No factual foundation for memo. Scaremongering about opening investigations doesn’t change end result.”