John Washington III Calls for an Independent Citizens' Justice Review Process, Asking Who Holds a District Attorney Accountable
In a statement headed 'Question the System,' John Washington III argued that a citizen with evidence against a government official needs somewhere to turn when a district attorney refuses to act — an independent authority that does not answer to the institutions being challenged.
John Washington III opened his latest statement with a question he put at the center of his 2028 presidential campaign: when the people responsible for enforcing the law are the ones accused of breaking it, who do the people turn to for justice? Writing under the heading 'Question the System,' John Washington III asked what happens when a citizen has evidence of wrongdoing by a government official but the district attorney refuses to pursue the case. 'Who holds the district attorney accountable?' he wrote. 'Who investigates the investigators? And who protects the people when the system refuses to act?'
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, arguing that the American people should have the legal right to present credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing to an independent authority, especially when conflicts of interest may exist. That authority, he wrote, should 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.
John Washington III grounded the proposal in where he says government power comes from. 'Our government derives its authority from the people,' he wrote. 'The justice system exists to serve the people, not protect government officials from accountability.' He called for a serious national conversation about establishing an independent citizens' justice review process, and closed with the challenge that framed the statement: 'Question the system. Demand accountability. Protect the rights of the people.' John Washington III signed the statement as a 2028 presidential candidate.
