WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr created security risks when he deployed unprepared federal law enforcement officers to respond to racial justice protests near the White House in 2020, according to a Justice Department review released on Wednesday.

The Justice Department's top watchdog issued a report Wednesday criticizing former Attorney General Bill Barr's management of the aggressive law enforcement response to protests in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2020 that turned violent in the wake the murder of George Floyd.

A highly critical report from the Justice Department’s watchdog largely clears former Attorney General William Barr of any responsibility for pushing out protesters from Lafayette Park near the White House during racial justice protests in the summer of 2020.