Attorney General News
The Daily Signal provides get trusted reporting on the Attorney General and DOJ policy, with commentary and opinion on legal decisions and political implications.
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Attorney General Warns of ‘Militant Secular Effort’ to Drive Out Religion
Attorney General William Barr says that religious Americans aren't imposing their beliefs on others, but that “militant secularists” are imposing their values on people of faith. Discussing religious freedom in the U.S. during an interview Tuesday on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel, Barr warned that religion is being “driven out of the marketplace of ideas,” and that “there’s an organized,…Mary Margaret Olohan -
Attorney General Reveals Stricter Procedures for Counterintelligence Investigations of Presidential Campaigns
The attorney general and FBI director will have to approve counterintelligence investigations of future presidential campaigns, Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference Monday. “The opening of a counterintelligence investigation of a presidential campaign would be something that the director of the FBI would have to sign off on and the attorney general…Chuck Ross -
Podcast: Alaska Attorney General Talks Workers’ Rights
Two years ago, the Supreme Court handed down a major ruling in the Janus decision. That decision freed up public-sector workers from having to pay unions against their will. But since then, a lot of states haven’t been complying—and unions have fought back. Alaska is leading the charge in the opposite direction—bringing its state into…Katrina Trinko -
Lawmakers Call on Attorney General to Enforce Anti-Obscenity Laws, Make Good on Trump’s Campaign Pledge
Four Republicans lawmakers are calling on Attorney General William Barr to enforce federal anti-obscenity laws and to crack down on hardcore pornography. Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, Brian Babin of Texas, Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, and Jim Banks of Indiana sent a letter to Barr, urging him to enforce anti-obscenity laws that they say…Rachel del Guidice -
The Left’s Revealing Overreaction to Attorney General Barr’s Landmark Speech
Watching the hysterical reaction of the radical left—such as Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post—to Attorney General William Barr’s thoughtful, well-reasoned, important speech at the Federalist Society convention on the constitutional doctrine of the unitary executive is like history repeating itself. Liberals had the same overreaction to then-Attorney General Edwin Meese’s 1985 speech to the…Hans von Spakovsky -
4 Things to Know About Republican Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s First Black Attorney General
When he takes office on Dec. 10, Daniel Cameron will make history as Kentucky’s first-ever African American attorney general and its first Republican to hold the office since 1948. Winning 57.8% of the vote on Nov. 5, Cameron trounced his opponent, former Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo, who was seeking a return to the office…Joshua Q. Nelson -
Lindsey Graham Urges Attorney General to Declassify 9 Categories of Information From FISA Abuse Probe
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham is calling on Attorney General William Barr to declassify and publicize nine categories of information from the inspector general’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuse investigation. The documents, if released, would shed light on the FBI’s assessment of the Steele dossier, as well as information related to confidential human…Chuck Ross -
Attorney General Says Mueller Found No Collusion, but 10 Instances of Possible Obstruction
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report highlights 10 episodes that could be construed as obstruction of justice, although his investigation found no underlying conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Attorney General William Barr held a press conference Thursday morning to lay out the conclusions…Fred Lucas -
3 Keys to Understanding the Attorney General’s Move to Limit ‘Catch and Release’
Attorney General William Barr has announced a new asylum policy to curb the government’s practice of catching illegal immigrants and then releasing them into the nation’s interior. The American Civil Liberties Union already has vowed to challenge the change in court even as President Donald Trump seeks to use all legal tools at his disposal…Fred Lucas -
4 Big Issues in Attorney General’s First Hearing After Getting Mueller Report
The special counsel’s report on Russia’s election meddling will be released with redactions within a week, and the results of a separate probe into alleged Justice Department misconduct is coming within two months, Attorney General William Barr told a House panel Tuesday. House Democrats, who weren’t happy to hear about redactions in special counsel Robert…Fred Lucas -
Attorney General Sees No Case for Obstruction as Mueller Finds No Collusion With Russia
It’s no longer only President Donald Trump and his allies saying “no collusion.” Special counsel Robert Mueller has reached the same conclusion that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Moscow to gain advantage in the 2016 election. Mueller also did not uncover actionable evidence in his 22-month probe that Trump sought to obstruct justice…Fred Lucas -
Mueller Delivers Report on Russia Probe to Attorney General
Special counsel Robert Mueller delivered a report Friday on his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and allegations of collusion by the Trump campaign. Attorney General William Barr, who took office Feb. 14, informed the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Judiciary committees that he had received Mueller’s report….Fred Lucas -
William Barr Is Our New Attorney General. Here Are 4 Things He Should Focus on Right Away
With the confirmation of William Barr as the 85th attorney general of the United States, we now have an experienced hand leading the Department of Justice. At his confirmation hearing, Barr vowed to focus on violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and protect the right to vote. But our country faces many additional challenges today, many of which…Hans von Spakovsky -
Senate Confirms William Barr as New Attorney General
The Senate confirmed William Barr as the new attorney general Thursday afternoon, returning Barr for a second tour atop the Department of Justice. The confirmation vote largely followed party lines—GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against confirmation given Barr’s views on domestic surveillance and the Fourth Amendment. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia,…Kevin Daley -
Virginia’s Attorney General Discloses That He Wore Blackface at College Party
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring shook his state’s already-reeling Democrat power structure Wednesday by disclosing that he wore blackface to a college party in 1980 when he and friends dressed up as popular rappers. In a lengthy statement released by his office and on Twitter, Herring said he was a 19-year-old student at the University…Ginny Montalbano -
The Barr Exam: 5 Expected Issues for Trump’s Attorney General Pick
President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general faces a Senate committee Tuesday in what could turn into a proxy fight and speechifying over the probe of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. Nominee William Barr, who was attorney general 27 years ago, will act to head off some questions from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary…Fred Lucas -
12 Potential Trump Nominees for Attorney General
Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned Wednesday, creating a vacancy in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and the opportunity to confirm a new leader at the Department of Justice. The question facing Trump is whom he might pick as the next attorney general. The Heritage Foundation’s John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government and…Troy Worden -
Democrats Protest Trump’s Naming Critic of Mueller Probe as Acting Attorney General
With Jeff Sessions’ resignation Wednesday as attorney general, Democrats immediately began attacking his interim replacement. President Donald Trump tapped Sessions’ chief of staff, Matt Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, to be acting attorney general. Sessions, a former Alabama senator and early Trump supporter who angered the president by recusing…Fred Lucas -
Utah Attorney General Credits School Safety App for Intercepting 86 ‘Credible’ Threats
Students and teachers at Utah schools have access to an app that allows users to report threats of violence and seek help from crisis counselors. The software application, designed to promote school safety and student well-being, has flagged 86 credible threats of school violence over two years, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said in a…Rachel del Guidice -
New York Attorney General Has Filed 100 Acts of Resistance Against Trump
The New York attorney general has transformed his office into a bastion of the resistance movement by taking 100 legal or administrative actions against the Trump administration this year. Eric Schneiderman’s legal team sued the Federal Communications Commission over its rollback of net neutrality regulations, challenged each successive version of the travel ban in court,…Jack Crowe