According to a new report, the FBI has initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after a large container ship struck the bridge last month. Among other things, the investigation will attempt to find out if the crew left port knowing that the container ship had problems with its systems.
"Authorities are reviewing the events leading up to the moment that the Dali, a 985-foot Singapore-flagged ship, lost power while leaving the Port of Baltimore and slammed into one of the bridge’s support pillars, said the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe," reports the Washington Post. "One official said that the investigation was being overseen by the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland. Spokespeople for the FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland or the Justice Department."
"Federal agents today are conducting a court-approved search of the Dali," a DOJ spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. "We have no further comment at this time."
"The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity," the FBI Baltimore also said in a statement.
The criminal investigation is independent of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation assessing the cause of the crash.
The Dali struck the bridge just before 1:30 a.m. on March 26, causing it to collapse and killing six construction workers who were working on the bridge. Joe Biden visited the site on April 5, during which he announced that the federal government (meaning the taxpayers) would bear the cost of rebuilding the bridge.
"It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge," he said, "and I expect to — the Congress to support my effort."
It is not clear if this investigation or its potential outcome could change this. If investigators determine that criminal negligence was responsible for the crash, it hardly seems right for the taxpayers to foot the bill for building a new bridge.
Joe Biden also came under fire for lying about his personal connection to the bridge.
"At about 1:30, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which I’ve been over many, many times commuting from the state of Delaware either on a train or by car," Biden said during his visit to the bridge site. "I’ve been to Baltimore Harbor many times. And the bridge collapsed, sending several people and vehicles into the water — into the river."
However, the Francis Scott Key Bridge didn't have any tracks on it — just two lanes for car traffic in each direction.
Related: PolitiFact Beclowns Itself Defending Biden’s Claim About Key Bridge
Biden also shamelessly invoked his son Beau during his visit, saying, "And we know it’s hard to believe, and you’re probably not going to believe me, but I can tell you now from personal experience: The day is going to come when the memory of your loved one, as you walk by that park or the church or something that you shared together, it’s going to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye."
Biden has often been criticized for invoking his late son, who died of brain cancer in 2015, sometimes even falsely claiming that he died in combat in Iraq.
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