Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into whether police officials in Washington, D.C., manipulated crime statistics.

Why It Matters

The investigation comes amid an escalating political showdown between the Trump administration and the city over control of the police department. It wasn't immediately clear what federal laws could have been violated by the possible manipulation of crime data.

What To Know

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is leading the investigation, according to The New York Times , which first broke the news. It was later confirmed by the Associated Press.

Pirro's investigation into whether police officials in the nation's capital falsified crime data comes after NBC Washington reported that a Metropolitan Police Department

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