All articles tagged with #department of justice
Two federal trials in Washington, DC ended in hung juries for MS-13 leaders Moises Rivera-Luna and Tokiro Rodas Ramirez, producing mistrials and delaying justice; the pattern has frustrated prosecutors in Pirro’s DC office, with a third retrial planned for September.
TikTok has agreed to a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, resolving a federal investigation and outlining compliance obligations for the platform.
A June warning from a National Park Service engineer about peeling in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during renovations preceded a June 19 charge against former Olympian David Hearn for destruction of property; prosecutors later dropped the case after Interior Department documents indicated the damage resulted from flawed installation and overspray by the contractor, not vandalism, while Trump publicly claimed the pool was vandalized and there were moves to dismiss the case without prejudice.
A Kentucky woman, Melissa Farris, 41, was ordered released on conditions after being charged with two felonies for spray-painting the World War II Memorial in Washington. The release requires surrendering her passport and staying in the U.S. unless court approval is granted; the DOJ criticized the decision, citing flight risk. The protest on Aug. 13 involved suds and graffiti, including the phrase 'Clean hands Dirty
All articles tagged with #department of justice
Two federal trials in Washington, DC ended in hung juries for MS-13 leaders Moises Rivera-Luna and Tokiro Rodas Ramirez, producing mistrials and delaying justice; the pattern has frustrated prosecutors in Pirro’s DC office, with a third retrial planned for September.
TikTok has agreed to a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, resolving a federal investigation and outlining compliance obligations for the platform.
A June warning from a National Park Service engineer about peeling in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during renovations preceded a June 19 charge against former Olympian David Hearn for destruction of property; prosecutors later dropped the case after Interior Department documents indicated the damage resulted from flawed installation and overspray by the contractor, not vandalism, while Trump publicly claimed the pool was vandalized and there were moves to dismiss the case without prejudice.
A Kentucky woman, Melissa Farris, 41, was ordered released on conditions after being charged with two felonies for spray-painting the World War II Memorial in Washington. The release requires surrendering her passport and staying in the U.S. unless court approval is granted; the DOJ criticized the decision, citing flight risk. The protest on Aug. 13 involved suds and graffiti, including the phrase 'Clean hands Dirty
#x27;, and Farris had posted videos calling herself a 'pirate captain' who was panhandling for America. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 3.
A Texas federal judge’s injunction narrows the National Firearms Act’s tax-stamp requirement for suppressors, applying to the named plaintiffs and allowing unregistered silencers in Texas, with potential nationwide ripple effects as the DOJ weighs an appeal and gun-rights groups push for broader changes while safety advocates warn of risks.
Slate’s Jurisprudence column argues that Trump’s fixation on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has sparked a politically charged legal fray, from an investigation into a prosecutor’s handling of the pool controversy to discussions of potential new charges, all under Todd Blanche’s watch as the DOJ leader-in-waiting, signaling a high-stakes struggle where partisan pressure and accountability collide.
Federal prosecutors charged Heidi Beirich, a former SPLC executive and current anti-extremism analyst, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to the SPLC’s informant program; the SPLC denies wrongdoing and a federal judge allowed the case to proceed.
Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general in an Oval Office ceremony without press access, officiated by Judge Emil Bove. Blanche—Trump’s former defense colleague—will lead a DOJ reshaped to align with the president’s agenda, a trajectory shaped by Bove’s controversial tenure at the department. Attendees included FBI Director Kash Patel and Stephen Miller, and Blanche’s family was present. The Senate confirmed Blanche 50–49, with Collins and Murkowski opposing.
Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, was sworn in as US attorney general after serving as acting AG since April. The Senate narrowly confirmed him 50-49, making him the second Senate-approved AG of Trump’s second term. Blanche, previously Trump’s deputy AG, has presided over mass DOJ staff departures and faced courtroom setbacks, while inheriting controversy from Pam Bondi’s tenure over Epstein files. Democrats opposed his nomination, with Collins and Murkowski voting no.
The Hill reports that Rand Paul’s committee approved a contempt referral for Fauci over his Fifth Amendment assertions, but the path forward for DOJ is murky. Key questions include whether the full Senate must approve the contempt before DOJ can act, how Fauci’s Fifth Amendment rights could be invoked, and how past presidential pardons might affect any potential prosecution. Legal experts warn the process is legally intricate and politically charged, with grand jury dynamics and pardon scopes adding to the uncertainty for prosecutors.
The Senate narrowly approved Todd Blanche—Trump’s close ally who has acted as attorney general—to lead the DOJ by a 50–49 vote, raising concerns about the department’s independence from the White House. The confirmation followed a bruising fight over a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and Trump tax-audit immunity, which Blanche later scrapped or limited to past tax years, amid Democratic warnings that the DOJ could be weaponized against opponents and Republicans divided. Blanche has represented Trump in multiple cases, including hush-money and classified-documents matters, underscoring his deep ties to the former president.
The article argues Rand Paul’s push to hold Fauci in contempt and release his diary is a partisan tactic aimed at discrediting Fauci and pressuring the DOJ, rather than a serious legal case. It notes that while the diary could be used to cherry-pick inconsistencies and Fauci could face perjury questions, the Biden pardon complicates prosecutions for actions up to 2025. With state investigations looming and political dynamics in Washington, the piece suggests the move is more about political theater and embarrassing Fauci than a likely criminal outcome.
Sen. Rand Paul moves to refer Anthony Fauci’s contempt of Congress straight to the attorney general instead of holding a full Senate vote, arguing Fauci impeded his committee’s inquiry by not answering questions. Democrats want a floor vote that could be filibustered, while legal experts warn the maneuver is legally murky and could hinge on questions about the scope of Biden’s pardon and whether a committee referral can trigger contempt without Senate action.
President Trump says he hasn’t made a determination about firing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she attributed the Reflecting Pool damage to liner issues rather than vandals; he had publicly criticized her office for dropping a vandalism charge against former Olympian David Hearn and met with Pirro amid the dispute, while questioning the contractor involved and resisting Pirro’s stance in the controversy.
The Justice Department filed 25 complaints seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of naturalised Americans in what it says is the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in U.S. history, including Narinder Singh who allegedly used fraudulent identities to obtain citizenship in 2008. The cases accuse fraud, concealment of criminal histories, and false statements during naturalisation, potentially stripping citizenship and triggering deportation if courts rule in the government's favor. The filings span 17 countries and bring the total denaturalisation actions to 123, with the DOJ stressing that citizenship must be earned honestly and that more actions could follow.
A Texas federal judge’s injunction narrows the National Firearms Act’s tax-stamp requirement for suppressors, applying to the named plaintiffs and allowing unregistered silencers in Texas, with potential nationwide ripple effects as the DOJ weighs an appeal and gun-rights groups push for broader changes while safety advocates warn of risks.
Slate’s Jurisprudence column argues that Trump’s fixation on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has sparked a politically charged legal fray, from an investigation into a prosecutor’s handling of the pool controversy to discussions of potential new charges, all under Todd Blanche’s watch as the DOJ leader-in-waiting, signaling a high-stakes struggle where partisan pressure and accountability collide.
Federal prosecutors charged Heidi Beirich, a former SPLC executive and current anti-extremism analyst, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to the SPLC’s informant program; the SPLC denies wrongdoing and a federal judge allowed the case to proceed.
Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general in an Oval Office ceremony without press access, officiated by Judge Emil Bove. Blanche—Trump’s former defense colleague—will lead a DOJ reshaped to align with the president’s agenda, a trajectory shaped by Bove’s controversial tenure at the department. Attendees included FBI Director Kash Patel and Stephen Miller, and Blanche’s family was present. The Senate confirmed Blanche 50–49, with Collins and Murkowski opposing.
Todd Blanche, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, was sworn in as US attorney general after serving as acting AG since April. The Senate narrowly confirmed him 50-49, making him the second Senate-approved AG of Trump’s second term. Blanche, previously Trump’s deputy AG, has presided over mass DOJ staff departures and faced courtroom setbacks, while inheriting controversy from Pam Bondi’s tenure over Epstein files. Democrats opposed his nomination, with Collins and Murkowski voting no.
The Hill reports that Rand Paul’s committee approved a contempt referral for Fauci over his Fifth Amendment assertions, but the path forward for DOJ is murky. Key questions include whether the full Senate must approve the contempt before DOJ can act, how Fauci’s Fifth Amendment rights could be invoked, and how past presidential pardons might affect any potential prosecution. Legal experts warn the process is legally intricate and politically charged, with grand jury dynamics and pardon scopes adding to the uncertainty for prosecutors.
The Senate narrowly approved Todd Blanche—Trump’s close ally who has acted as attorney general—to lead the DOJ by a 50–49 vote, raising concerns about the department’s independence from the White House. The confirmation followed a bruising fight over a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and Trump tax-audit immunity, which Blanche later scrapped or limited to past tax years, amid Democratic warnings that the DOJ could be weaponized against opponents and Republicans divided. Blanche has represented Trump in multiple cases, including hush-money and classified-documents matters, underscoring his deep ties to the former president.
The article argues Rand Paul’s push to hold Fauci in contempt and release his diary is a partisan tactic aimed at discrediting Fauci and pressuring the DOJ, rather than a serious legal case. It notes that while the diary could be used to cherry-pick inconsistencies and Fauci could face perjury questions, the Biden pardon complicates prosecutions for actions up to 2025. With state investigations looming and political dynamics in Washington, the piece suggests the move is more about political theater and embarrassing Fauci than a likely criminal outcome.
Sen. Rand Paul moves to refer Anthony Fauci’s contempt of Congress straight to the attorney general instead of holding a full Senate vote, arguing Fauci impeded his committee’s inquiry by not answering questions. Democrats want a floor vote that could be filibustered, while legal experts warn the maneuver is legally murky and could hinge on questions about the scope of Biden’s pardon and whether a committee referral can trigger contempt without Senate action.
President Trump says he hasn’t made a determination about firing U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after she attributed the Reflecting Pool damage to liner issues rather than vandals; he had publicly criticized her office for dropping a vandalism charge against former Olympian David Hearn and met with Pirro amid the dispute, while questioning the contractor involved and resisting Pirro’s stance in the controversy.
The Justice Department filed 25 complaints seeking to revoke the U.S. citizenship of naturalised Americans in what it says is the largest coordinated denaturalisation effort in U.S. history, including Narinder Singh who allegedly used fraudulent identities to obtain citizenship in 2008. The cases accuse fraud, concealment of criminal histories, and false statements during naturalisation, potentially stripping citizenship and triggering deportation if courts rule in the government's favor. The filings span 17 countries and bring the total denaturalisation actions to 123, with the DOJ stressing that citizenship must be earned honestly and that more actions could follow.