John Washington III Asks Who the People Turn to for Justice — and Proposes an Independent Citizens' Review
In a statement headed 'Question the System,' presidential candidate John Washington III argued that a citizen with evidence of wrongdoing by a government official has nowhere independent to take it when a district attorney declines the case — and he called for a national conversation about an independent citizens' justice review process.
John Washington III put a question at the center of his latest campaign statement, and it was not about an opponent. 'What happens when the very people responsible for enforcing the law are the ones being accused of breaking it?' he wrote. 'When a citizen has evidence of wrongdoing by a government official, but the district attorney refuses to pursue the case, where does that citizen turn?'
His answer is a new institution. John Washington III called for 'an independent pathway to justice that does not depend entirely on the approval of the same government institutions being challenged.' Under the proposal he described, the American people would have the legal right to present credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing to an independent authority — especially where conflicts of interest may exist — and that authority would be empowered to review complaints, investigate where warranted, and pursue appropriate legal action while protecting everyone's constitutional rights.
'Justice should never depend on someone's political connections, government position, wealth, or influence,' he wrote. 'Our government derives its authority from the people. The justice system exists to serve the people, not protect government officials from accountability.' He closed by calling for 'a serious national conversation about establishing an independent citizens' justice review process,' signing the statement as a 2028 presidential candidate under the heading: 'Question the system. Demand accountability. Protect the rights of the people.'
