All articles tagged with #doj
In Los Angeles, the first arrest in a broader Trump-era election-fraud crackdown—Honduran national Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores—charges him with fraudulent voter registration and false citizenship claims; the DOJ says California's safeguards have allowed noncitizens to register and urges a comprehensive voter-roll audit, while Rivera Flores, who did not vote, faces possible deportation if convicted.
The DOJ seized online domains used by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group operating the QScan and QTRouter platforms, which targeted U.S. federal agencies including the Federal Reserve, U.S. Senate, Department of Justice, NASA, Energy, HHS, and NIH, as well as hospitals, telecommunications providers, power companies, financial institutions, and defense contractors. Court filings say the group QTFY was employed by Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. No damage figures were disclosed, and Attorney General Todd Blanche pledged to stop such intrusions.
DOJ lawyers told a federal judge that the Kennedy Center is structurally and financially unsustainable without intervention from the Trump administration, even suggesting an outdoor amphitheatre if it must be torn down; the filing comes amid disputes over Trump’s name on the building and ongoing renovation plans.
DOJ lawyers argued in a court filing that the Kennedy Center is structurally unsound and could be demolished if it cannot close for about two years for renovations, potentially replacing the center with an outdoor amphitheater; the filing marks a stark shift from the board’s description of a two-year shutdown to upgrade stage lifts, rigging, electrical systems and leak prevention, and a hearing is set this week on the planned closure and on the board’s bid to re-add Trump’s name to the building.
President Donald Trump reportedly urged the DOJ to settle its antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation after a February Oval Office meeting with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, a move that preceded the company’s surprise settlement in March. The deal gave Live Nation concessions on amphitheater operations and Ticketmaster contracts, but several plaintiff states continued litigation, and critics questioned the settlement’s public-interest implications and the extent of political influence behind it.
A coalition of voting-rights groups filed an emergency motion asking a federal court to enforce an injunction blocking USPS from finalizing a Trump-era rule restricting mail-in voting ahead of the November election. The USPS says the rule would take effect only with Supreme Court relief and would have no impact before November, while the DOJ plans to oppose the emergency request. Judge Indira Talwani rejected DOJ’s request for extra briefing time and ordered filings by Aug. 25, with the final rule publication slated for Aug. 26; the case centers on preventing disruption to voters and election officials this fall.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that TikTok and its parent ByteDance will pay $400 million to settle COPPA violations related to children's online privacy, one of the largest recoveries under COPPA; the deal avoids admission of wrongdoing and requires ongoing privacy improvements while resolving the charges.
Salvatore Gravano told an FBI agent that James Comey 'had to know' that the mob term '86' meant killing, a detail in the DOJ case accusing Comey of threatening President Trump via a seashell-posted image; Gravano’s affidavit disputes that Comey understood the term’s violent meaning, while Comey says there was no violent intent and he removed the post. The FBI found no Gambino materials referencing '86'.
A PEN America statement criticizes prosecutors for citing James Comey’s novel FDR Drive to bolster an indictment alleging he threatened Trump. The DoJ argues a seashell image post with the code “8647” could be read as a threat and involved cross-state transmission, while Comey and his lawyers say the post was protected speech and not a true threat. The case hinges on whether fiction or a literary metaphor can be used to criminalize free expression.
The Justice Department announced a $400 million settlement with TikTok (and ByteDance) to dismiss claims that the platforms collected data on millions of children under 13 without parental consent and to vacate a 2019 FTC consent decree, citing substantial changes to management, ownership, and privacy practices since 2024; TikTok now operates as a U.S.-backed joint venture with ByteDance retaining about 19.9% stake, and the company has expanded safeguards, age controls, and parental oversight for younger users.
TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to the U.S. to settle a Department of Justice COPPA lawsuit accusing the platform of collecting data on users under 13; under the terms, TikTok and ByteDance will pay $300 million now and $100 million later after the government vacates a 2019 FTC consent decree, reflecting changes in ownership and privacy controls for young users since the suit was filed.
An appeals court blocked the Justice Department from enforcing subpoenas seeking information from Letitia James’s office after ruling that the lead prosecutor in the probe had been unlawfully appointed, upholding a lower court’s decision and signaling ongoing scrutiny of temporary U.S. Attorney appointments; the DOJ said it will seek Supreme Court review.
The U.S. Department of Justice and TikTok (ByteDance) have agreed to a $400 million settlement over COPPA violations, avoiding further litigation and not admitting wrongdoing; TikTok has since overhauled ownership, management, and privacy protections, introducing stronger youth safeguards, age controls, and greater parental oversight, in what DOJ calls a major step in protecting kids online.
Federal agents confronted former Rep. Eric Swalwell at San Francisco International Airport, seizing his cellphone and other electronics as part of a sexual misconduct investigation; prosecutors also executed warrants at his Washington, D.C. home as the probe broadens. Swalwell cooperated with investigators. The inquiry, led by the Department of Justice and tied to prior sexual misconduct allegations, follows a career that included resignation from Congress in 2024 amid ongoing scrutiny.
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison is suing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro so he can face Minnesota charges over a Minneapolis shooting tied to Operation Metro Surge, a process slowed by Abbott’s delay and opaque evidence-sharing. In a separate maneuver, the Trump DOJ urged removal of a Maryland-based case against ICE agent Gregory Morgan Jr. to federal court and pressed for witness immunity, signaling a pattern of federal intervention aimed at complicating local prosecutions of federal agents. The memo also notes DHS’s covert surveillance of anti-ICE protests and includes brief midterm political updates.