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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul is criticizing Attorney General Jeff Sessions for directing federal prosecutors to charge defendants with the most serious crimes they can pursue.

The new guidelines are a departure from an Obama-era policy that eased prosecutions of people with non-violent drug offenses.

In 2013, then-Attorney General Eric Holder directed prosecutors to avoid charging people with crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences, which require judges to impose lengthier prison terms.

In a statement, Paul said the reprisal of the tough on crime policy isnt a good idea.

Mandatory minimum sentences have unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated too many minorities for too long, Paul said. Attorney General Sessions new policy will accentuate that injustice. Instead, we should treat our nations drug epidemic as a health crisis and less as a lock em up and throw away the key problem.

Paul has pushed for reforms to the criminal justice system, including reduction of mandatory minimum sentences on drug crimes, expungement of felony records and restoration of voting rights, though the proposals havent garnered enough support to get a floor vote.

However, Paul voted in favor of Sessions confirmation earlier this year. Sessions has repeatedly criticized the Obama administration for being soft on crime and accused the former presidents policies of leading to violent crimes.

Sessions policy amounts to a return to strategies conceived under former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who directed federal prosecutors to charge people with the most serious crimes possible.

Under the Obama-era policy, defendants who didnt belong to large drug trafficking organizations qualified to be charged with crimes that didnt carry long mandatory minimum sentences.

This week, Sessions issued a memoto Department of Justice staff ordering federal prosecutors to charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.

This policy affirms our responsibility to enforce the law, is moral and just, and produces consistency, Sessions wrote. This policy fully utilizes the tools Congress has given us.

Prosecutors who wish to not pursue the most serious charges possible would have to get approval from a U.S. attorney or assistant attorney general.

Kerry Harvey, who was the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky until earlier this year, said implementation of the policy will depend on each U.S. attorneys office.

But on the face of it you would expect that the sentences, particularly in drug trafficking cases, would be longer, Harvey said.

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Rand Paul Pans Sessions' 'Tough On Crime' Prosecution Policy - WKU Public Radio

Sen. Rand Paul said Thursday that another senator confided that he too was surveilled by the Obama administration.

I know one other senator has already confided in me that he was surveilled by the Obama administration, Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on Fox News.

Mr. Paul said two sources also have information that shows he was surveilled during the 2016 presidential campaign as well.

There are rumors about other people who ran for president as well, he said. Im concerned not only for myself but for Americans in general.

Mr. Paul also said he agrees with President Trumps decision to fire former FBI Director James B. Comey, and that there is more agreement on this issue than it may seem.

I think weve probably never had someone fired where both sides really agreed with the firing more than you can imagine, Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on CBS News.

He said the timing that many are calling suspicious actually makes sense considering the delays in the Trump administration confirmations.

We have the slowest approval of a Cabinet in the history in the country, Mr. Paul explained. When they did get in place, they did a review.

Mr. Paul said Mr. Comeys firing had nothing to do with the Russia investigation, but rather the agencys shortcomings under the FBI directors leadership, such as the Orlando shooting at a gay nightclub last year.

I think the FBI dropped the ball, Mr. Paul said. There were many warning signs.

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Rand Paul: There are 'rumors' other presidential candidates under surveillance by the Obama admin. - Washington Times

NewsBusters (blog)

Paul Schools 'Left-Wing Media' Parroting Dem Talking Points on Comey NewsBusters (blog) Republican Senator Rand Paul nailed the liberal spin coming from CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King on Thursday, hammering the hypocrisy on the firing of James Comey. After King, who is also a Democratic donor, questioned the way in which Comey ...

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Paul Schools 'Left-Wing Media' Parroting Dem Talking Points on Comey - NewsBusters (blog)

CNSNews.com (blog)

Rand Paul on Hannity About Intelligence Community: 'Worries Me' That They've Gotten So Much Power CNSNews.com (blog) On Sean Hannity's nationally syndicated radio talk show program Tuesday, Rand Paul discussed his concerns with the growing power of the U.S. intelligence agencies, saying, it worries me that the intelligence community in the United States has gotten ...

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Rand Paul on Hannity About Intelligence Community: 'Worries Me' That They've Gotten So Much Power - CNSNews.com (blog)

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says reports he was a target of Obama Administration spying raises troubling questions about abuse of power. If the intelligence community is being used for politics, that is a very, very serious crime."

Paul says reporters have told him they have evidence that surveillance happened. Ive asked the White House and Ive asked the House Intel Committee and Ive asked the Senate Intel Committee, Paul told the FOX Business Networks Charles Payne.

Paul says the reports of widespread surveillance raise concerns over the potential political fallout of the executive branch spying on members of Congress.

There is supposed to be a procedure called a Gates notification and if someone is listening to someone in Congress in the executive branch that has a potential great danger to disrupt the freedom of the legislative branch to criticize the executive branch.

Paul said the illegal use of intelligence community resources for political purposes raises chilling questions. They have so much power to collect, I mean they have the power to collect information, invade your privacy but also to destroy you.

Paul pointed to Gen. Michael Flynn as an example of how surveillance can impact someones reputation.

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Gen. Flynn, like him or not, agree or not, he was destroyed by an illegal listening, illegal surveillance of his phone conversation. If thats going to go on, can you imagine what would happen to an ordinary citizen if the governments ever to listen in on them."

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Sen. Rand Paul: If Intel Community is Being Used for Politics, That's a Very Serious Crime - Fox Business