Department of Justice (DOJ) News
Coverage of DOJ investigations, leadership, and political influence. Includes conservative commentary and opinion from The Daily Signal.
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- News
Justice Department Takes Credit for Second Operation Choke Point Settlement
The Daily Signal has reported multiple cases where innocent small business owners believe they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department’s controversial initiative known as Operation Choke Point. Now, the agency it touting a case it says it got right. On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced it reached a $4.9 million settlement with CommerceWest Bank…Kelsey Bolar -
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Small Business Owner Questions Why Justice Department Would Threaten His Livelihood
A third-generation veteran says the government is choking him from his livelihood, blocking his access to bank accounts and forcing him to pay exorbitant fees for basic financial services. “I’m an American, and when the government does something like this to its own citizens, it has to be stopped,” said Andy Kramer, owner of Discount…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
If a Republican Justice Department Did This, It Would Be Attacked as Borderline Racist
Attorney General Eric Holder has waged a litigation war against voter-ID laws as well as state efforts to reduce early-voting periods and eliminate same-day voter registration. These practical reforms, he huffs, are intended to suppress the votes of minorities. But the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and a number of civil-rights groups against…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Republican Lawmakers Demand Answers From Justice Department on Operation Choke Point
Thirty members of Congress demanded today that the Department of Justice launch an “immediate investigation” into the agency’s own Operation Choke Point and those involved in creating and implementing the initiative against enterprises that are out of favor with the Obama administration. Led by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., the 30 lawmakers sent a letter to…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
How Long Will It Take to Repair Damage Holder Has Done at Justice Department?
Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement Thursday that he is resigning, effective when his successor is confirmed, is welcome news. As John Fund and I outline in our recent book, “Obama’s Enforcer: Eric Holder’s Justice Department,” every time President Obama has broken, bent, ignored or changed the law, the person at his side advising him how…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
The Latest Clue That the Justice Department Investigation of IRS Scandal Is a Sham
Evidence has been accumulating for some time the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the IRS scandal isn’t a real investigation. But the latest indication it may be a sham came to light through an embarrassing but highly revealing error made by a senior communications aide to Attorney General Eric Holder. It occurred when that aide…Hans von Spakovsky -
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How Eric Holder Has Destroyed the Justice Department’s Reputation
I don’t know who the next U.S. attorney general will be, but I know I pity that person. Restoring the Justice Department’s reputation in the wake of Eric H. Holder Jr.’s tenure will take a lot of work. You can find out just how big a task it will be in “Obama’s Enforcer: Eric Holder’s…Ed Feulner -
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Lost Lerner Emails More Evidence Justice Department Not Taking IRS Investigation Seriously
As usual, the Obama administration used its “release-bad-news-late-on-Friday” routine for its latest jaw dropper: a claim by the IRS that it has lost external emails to and from Lois Lerner during the critical period of January 2009 to April 2011. For this period of time, according to a June 13 letter from Treasury to Rep….Hans von Spakovsky -
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Justice Department’s Latest Action Violates Federal Immigration Law
Attorney General Eric Holder announced on June 6 the Justice Department will use taxpayer funds to “enroll approximately 100 lawyers and paralegals as AmeriCorps members to provide legal services” to “young people who must appear in immigration proceedings.” This will be accomplished through Justice Department grants to the Corporation for National and Community Service, a…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Operation Choke Point: FDIC Cooperated with Justice Department
When reports of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Operation Choke Point surfaced in 2013, the Obama Administration insisted that the program was meant to stop fraudulent activity. The main idea, supposedly, was to “choke off” illegal businesses’ access to funds. According to one DOJ official, the operation was designed to change “the structures within the…Norbert Michel -
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Obama’s Enforcer: Eric Holder’s Justice Department
The evidence is clear that Eric Holder and his political subordinates have politicized the Justice Department to an unprecedented degree — “worse than John Mitchell under Richard Nixon” one former Justice Department lawyer told the authors. This is quite a criticism given that many DOJ veterans believe that the Department reached its nadir under Mitchell. …Hans von Spakovsky