FILE - A Multnomah County Sheriffs deputy watches anti-police protesters near the Portland east police precinct a day after political violence left one person dead on August 30, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department explored whether it could pursue either criminal or civil rights charges against city officials in Portland, Oregon after clashes erupted there night after night between law enforcement and demonstrators, a department spokesperson said Thursday.The revelation that federal officials researched whether they could levy criminal or civil charges against the officials — exploring whether their rhetoric and actions may have helped spur the violence in Portland —.