All articles tagged with #doj
Heather Cox Richardson argues that Trump is abandoning governance to tilt the 2026 election in Republicans’ favor—firing election officials, pressuring Congress on voting-restriction measures, and tightening security and renovation work at the White House—while federal courts push back on DOJ tactics and safeguards for free and fair elections loom ahead of the midterms.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted the DOJ’s motion to dismiss the Jan. 6 convictions of four Proud Boys—Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola—with prejudice, permanently closing the cases after Trump’s mass pardons and commutations. While noting the executive branch’s role in issuing pardons, the judge said he did not approve the decision and that denying the motion would not revive the convictions or trigger a retrial. The defendants were convicted in 2023 on multiple felonies (most on seditious conspiracy) and had sentences later commuted by Trump.
The Trump-era Justice Department sent letters to Utah and other states warning chief election officials they could face criminal penalties if noncitizens vote, as it seeks complete, unredacted voter lists. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson calls the move bizarre and unlawful, while a state audit found 99.72% of 2,069,640 voter records are U.S. citizens. Federal lawsuits seeking broad voter data have faced repeated court defeats, and Utah’s case remains unresolved with no hearing yet scheduled.
A Trump-appointed judge granted the DOJ’s motion to dismiss the seditious-conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl after an appeals court vacated those rulings, noting former President Trump’s clemency actions as a major influence; Dominic Pezzola’s related assault/entry conviction remains a separate matter as the case proceeds.
Facing a string of court defeats blocking his efforts to tighten voting rules, the Trump administration is pivoting to intimidation and leverage: the DOJ threatens criminal prosecutions over potential noncitizen voting and will dispatch federal election observers to Democratic-leaning areas, while FEMA ties grant funding to compliance with election-security conditions including expanded use of the SAVE database. The moves face ongoing legal challenges and constitutional questions, with state officials resisting federal overreach even as some Republicans push a SAVE Act at the federal level.
The Justice Department sent letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia warning that officials could face criminal penalties for aiding noncitizen voting and gave five days to explain how they will comply with federal voter eligibility rules and maintain “clean voter lists.” Signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, the letters say intentional acts that dilute citizens’ votes could violate federal law. The move signals a broader DOJ push to increase federal oversight of elections and data requests, drawing both compliance and criticism as courts have dismissed several of the DOJ’s attempts to seize voter rolls.
The Justice Department says it will send election monitors to 15 jurisdictions across six states for the 2026 primary season, framing the move as routine monitoring, while also issuing nationwide letters warning election officials about potential criminal liability for noncitizen voting; monitors will review language access, disability access, and whether polling places operate for required hours, with the program potentially expanding before the general election amid a broader focus on alleged voting irregularities.
A federal judge in Georgia quashed a grand jury subpoena seeking information about Fulton County election workers tied to the 2020 election, calling the breadth of the request “staggering” and suggesting the DOJ’s use of the grand jury to probe the 2020 results may not be legitimate given the statute of limitations, effectively limiting the department’s bid for personal data from election workers as DOJ’s broader election oversight efforts continue.
The Justice Department asked state attorneys general to use all available state tools to investigate and prosecute any misconduct that may be contributing to high gasoline prices, signaling potential federal action if wrongdoing is found. The push follows earlier price spikes tied to Middle East tensions and oil-market volatility, with prices easing recently; no specific companies were named in the request.
The DOJ has filed an appeal in California v. Trump after a Massachusetts judge blocked key parts of President Trump’s anti-mail voting executive order in 23 Democratic-led states plus D.C., ruling the order exceeded presidential power and intruded on state authority to run elections. The appeal argues the plaintiffs lack standing and that the order is not self-executing and relies on existing laws; if the ruling stands, USPS could be barred from delaying mail ballots and federal agencies could not assemble nationwide voter lists. A separate universal USPS injunction remains contested, with the DOJ seeking to stay that injunction while the First Circuit reviews the case, as other related lawsuits proceed.
The FBI is boosting its Georgia 2020 election probe by deploying 260 additional FBI intelligence officials to the Atlanta area, with some working remotely, per an internal memo seen by CNN. The expansion follows earlier actions, including a January search at Fulton County’s elections office, and is described as a priority amid broader DOJ election-related investigations; the scope beyond Georgia’s 2020 vote remains unclear, and authorities have also sought details about thousands of election workers involved in Fulton County's count.
Former CIA Director John Brennan filed a pre-emptive federal lawsuit to force the Justice Department to preserve all records related to its investigation of his dealings during the Obama era, arguing the probe is politically motivated and a vindictive move by the Trump administration; the suit, which names several officials as defendants, seeks access to documents as a federal judge considers the case before any charges are filed.
The Justice Department is investigating Sen. Ruben Gallego for suspected campaign-finance violations prompted by a whistleblower complaint; the inquiry has not yet contacted Gallego and follows the Senate Ethics Committee’s prior dismissal of related allegations, amid reports he used campaign funds for childcare, family travel, and events such as the Super Bowl.
The Department of Justice has opened a probe into Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) for potential campaign-finance violations, days after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared him of misconduct allegations. The inquiry reportedly centers on using campaign funds for lavish family trips—including Disney World, Miami, Saint Barthélemy, Chicago—and for attending the 2023 Super Bowl, plus $18,000 in leadership-PAC childcare reimbursements. Gallego has defended the spending as legitimate fundraising expenses and dismissed the accusations as right-wing conspiracies.
Catherine Rampell argues that a Justice Department memo under the Trump era would allow states to institutionalize more people with disabilities, reversing Olmstead’s standard for the most integrated setting and potentially moving individuals from home- and community-based care to facilities, a shift critics say could be costlier and reduce independence. The piece also flags broader policy changes—reassigning special education duties to Health and Human Services, cutting disability-related data collection, and rhetoric around disabled people—with reports tying the memo to Stephen Miller and ongoing concerns about enforcement and impact on education and civil rights.