WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday, seeking answers about the Department of Justice’s May 10, 2017 memorandum, directing federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious offense possible when prosecuting defendants.

“The Department’s policy is based on the premise that ‘[i]t is of the utmost importance to enforce the law fairly and consistently.’ We agree. The problem is that, in many cases, current law requires nonviolent first-time offenders to receive longer sentences than violent criminals. Sentences of this kind not only ‘[undermine] respect for our legal system,’ but ruin families and have a corrosive effect on communities.”

The letter asks six specific questions about the Department’s policy change and requests answers to those questions within 30 days.