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On Sunday, NASCAR revealed that a noose was found in black driver Bubba Wallace’s garage. However, officials say that no federal crime has been committed.
On Monday, the Northern District of Alabama US Attorney Jay Town announced that his office had launched an investigation. This was along with the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Wallace will likely need headache relief after all this.
Town said no federal crime occurred. The investigation discovered that the rope found in Wallace’s garage was a garage door pull. Furthermore, the rope had been there since 2019.
Consequently, Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr released a statement:
“On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway. After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed.”
Related: Noose Found in Bubba Wallace’s Garage, Says NASCAR
Officials found the rope in Garage #4, which Bubba Wallace only moved to last week. The investigation revealed evidence, including video, that showed the rope had been in the garage as early as October 2019.
The statement from FBI Special Agent Johnnie Sharp Jr. and US Attorney Jay Town further explained why they decided not to pursue federal charges:
“Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week.
The decision not to pursue federal charges is proper after reviewing all available facts and all applicable federal laws. We offer our thanks to NASCAR, Mr. Wallace, and everyone who cooperated with this investigation.”
Similarly, NASCAR also released a statement about the incident, confirming the FBI’s determination that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime.
NASCAR explained how the FBI report contained photographic evidence of the same pull rope in the garage as early as last fall.
“This was obviously well before the 43 team’s arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI’s quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.”
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