Missouri republican Senator Josh Hawley has sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting it investigate St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner, who has filed charges against a white couple who pointed guns at a group peaceful protestors marching by their house, the Washington Post reports.

In a letter to US Attorney General Bill Barr, Hawley wrote, “This is an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment.  I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this family’s constitutional right.”

Hawley’s complaint revolved around charges filed against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a white St. Louis couple who was recorded in front of their home as peaceful marchers protesting police violence filed by their home.

Patricia McCloskey can be seen with the finger on the trigger of a handgun while her husband brandished an assault-style rifle, sometimes with his finger lingering over the trigger as he shouted and gestured at the group in front of their home.

No protestors approached the McCloskeys or their home during the incident.

Hawley claimed Gardner brought charges against the couple in a politically-motivated move.  The GOP has long attacked Gardner, claiming she’s using her office for political, rather than legal, purposes.

Gardner investigated the republican former governor of Missouri, Eric Greitens, over an extramarital affair that forced Greitens to resign in 2018.  Gardner has also championed reduced incarceration rates, moved to reduce penalties for low-level marijuana possession, and sought to push reforms through the St. Louis Police Department.