Kansas City Mayor Found Out That Trump Was Sending In Federal Agents On Twitter, Mayor’s Staffer Gave Green Light For Operation LeGend Without His Knowledge

Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas found out that Donald Trump planned to send federal officers to his city on Twitter, according to the New York Post, but has since learned that a member of his staff gave the ok without his knowledge.

Lucas tweeted on Friday that the Department of Justice spoke with a member of his staff through text messages, which did not involve him, FOX4 reports.

“Nonetheless, in a mistake, my office sent a letter under my electronic signature welcoming further federal resources,” the mayor tweeted. “Going from a 4-hour police commission meeting to meetings about the City’s budget. I mistakenly did not review the letter and I did not engage with the issue.”
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Lucas maintains that he found out about Operation LeGend when his name was mentioned during a White House briefing and that he was called after the fact and provided details.
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“Not having engaged w/the issue, nor having spoken to the US Atty, I was surprised to learn of the operation, its details, and the fact that our city was singled out for what appeared to be political advantage.  I subsequently expressed that concern on social media,” the mayor tweeted on Friday.
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“After my public concerns were expressed and after the White House press conference (and tweet), the United States Attorney called me directly to provide details of the operation in our first discussion on Operation LeGend.  We have worked together in a collaborative manner since,” Lucas continued. “I continue to feel the manner in which the operation was unveiled, described insufficiently to my office in an effort to gain quick support of an abstract idea when details were known, and rolled out to the people of this community was inadequate, unusual, and disappointing.”
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Trump and Attorney General William Barr announced on Wednesday that they would be sending 200 federal agents to Kansas City as part of the “Operation LeGend” to combat violent crime.
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Operation LeGend will begin in Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Chicago before being expanded into other cities. The focus will be to take down gangs and solve murders, according to Barr.

Operation LeGend was named after LeGend Taliferro, a 4-year-old Kansas City boy who was killed in June after being struck in the head by a bullet while he was sleeping.

Let's have a conversation on how I and we learned about the actual Operation LeGend and when just to make sure your questions are answered. #KCMO deserves it. https://t.co/59AL3mCBPM

— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) July 25, 2020