McCaskill, Blunt to join Eric Holder in Ferguson

After a week of protests and riots, and after Gov. Jay Nixon dispatched the National Guard to the city, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will visit Ferguson on Wednesday.

The visit comes as the town continues to deal with outrage surrounding the police shooting of 18-year old Michael Brown. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, said he and Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will join Holder on his visit.

Blunt said he spoke with Holder and President Barack Obama earlier in the day on Monday.

“I explained to the president that I’ve been pleased with my conversations with the Attorney General and civil rights division regarding their helpful understanding that they aren’t taking over this investigation, but are conducting a parallel review of the events that led to Michael Brown’s death,” he said. “I continue to believe that this is the best possible way to arrive at a transparent explanation that would be largely acceptable to all of those who have been impacted in the community by this tragedy.”

Holder, in a statement on Monday, said he intends “to meet with FBI investigators and prosecutors on the ground from the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office officials about the ongoing investigation.” Holder said the Justice Department is “dispatching additional representatives from the Community Relations Service, including Director Grande Lum, to Ferguson.”

Nixon also participated in a call today with Holder and Obama, but has not indicated yet whether he plans to join the group on Wednesday.

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