FBI looking into post-election crimes, US attorney says

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

The federal government is investigating whether a rash of alleged crimes across the country in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory are hate crimes, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Friday.

"The FBI is assessing, in conjunction with federal prosecutors, whether particular incidents constitute violations of federal law,” she said in a pre-recorded video message.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, an advocacy group that fights hate crimes, documented 437 incidents of "hateful harassment and intimidation" since the Nov. 8 polls.

That includes 136 anti-immigrant attacks and 20 cases of individuals targeting Trump supporters.

The FBI earlier this week released its annual tally of U.S. hate crimes for the last year that found a nearly 70 percent jump in those perpetrated against Muslim-Americans, as well as increases in crimes targeting Jews, blacks and the LGBT community.

Overall, hate crimes jumped 6 percent in 2015.

Lynch called the numbers "deeply sobering for all Americans".

Muslim-Americans have reported an increase in crimes targeting their community.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement that it noticed "a sharp jump in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide last year".

During the presidential campaign, Trump controversially called for the U.S. to bar Muslims from entering the country, later watering down the proposal to prevent those from "terror-prone regions" to come to the U.S.

Trump also lambasted the mother of a slain Muslim-American service member for not speaking alongside her husband at the Democratic convention, because of what he suggested were religion prohibitions.

Since the election his tone has changed as he has urged unity among Americans. But attacks have continued unabated.