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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6 Possible Outcomes in Justice Department Probe of Spying on Trump
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has predicted indictments in the Justice Department’s probe of the origins of the FBI’s Russia-Trump investigation. Although U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut has been on the case since May 2019, however, it’s not clear what the precise criminal charges might be, if any. “I expect indictments based…Fred Lucas -
Justice Department Charges 4 With Trying to Dismantle Andrew Jackson Statue Near White House
Four people have been charged following an attempt to dismantle a prominent statue of former President Andrew Jackson near the White House, the Department of Justice said Saturday. All four of the men were purportedly caught on video allegedly either attempting to affix straps in order to bring down the monument or actively pulling the…Jake Dima -
DOJ Plays Offense on Girls Sports
When Idaho went to the mat to protect women’s sports, the ACLU vowed to see Republican Gov. Brad Little in court. One group it didn’t expect to see there is the U.S. Justice Department. But thanks to an administration that isn’t going to let the Supreme Court dictate gender roles, that’s exactly who will be…Tony Perkins -
California’s Reopening Plan Discriminates Against Churches, DOJ Says
California’s plan for reopening the economy discriminates against religious believers, the Department of Justice warned Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday. The DOJ told Newsom in a letter provided to The Daily Caller News Foundation that though the DOJ understands California’s responsibility to protect the health and safety of Californians, the state also has a…Mary Margaret Olohan -
Justice Department Drops Case Against Michael Flynn
The Justice Department announced Thursday that it has dropped its controversial case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a little over a week after the release of embarrassing documents showing FBI bias undermined the prosecution’s case. The documents that surfaced last week included notes of a discussion among top FBI officials about whether the…Fred Lucas -
Trump Backs DOJ Move to Safeguard Constitutional Rights Amid COVID-19 Crisis
President Donald Trump seemed supportive of Attorney General William Barr’s directive to protect the individual rights of citizens against the potential encroachment by state or local governments. Asked in the Rose Garden press briefing Monday if the administration would bring lawsuits against states, Trump left the door open. “It would depend on the circumstances of…Fred Lucas -
Justice Department Halts Immigration Hearings Nationwide in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
The Department of Justice ordered all initial immigration courtroom hearings in the month ahead to be postponed, following outcry from an unlikely coalition of immigration prosecutors, attorneys, and judges. The Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review announced late Sunday night that all master calendar hearings scheduled between Monday and April 10 would be put…Jason Hopkins -
Justice Department Defends Catholic School Sued for Letting Go Employee After Same-Sex Wedding
Joshua Payne-Elliott had worked at Cathedral High School for 13 years. He knew the rules. So when the social studies teacher married another man, he knew he was putting his Catholic employer in an impossible situation. For 22 months, the Indianapolis Archdiocese and Payne-Elliott tried to talk it out. But eventually, there was nothing left…Tony Perkins -
Barr: Justice Department Handling Giuliani’s Ukraine Information With Caution
Attorney General William Barr said Monday that the Justice Department has set up an “intake process” to handle Ukraine-related information from Rudy Giuliani, but that the agency is being “very careful” with what the Trump lawyer has provided. “We have to be very careful with respect to any information coming from Ukraine. There are a…Chuck Ross -
Warrants to Spy on Trump Campaign Lacked Probable Cause, DOJ Admits
Two of the FBI’s four applications for warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to spy on a Trump campaign adviser lacked probable cause and should not have been issued in the first place. That’s the stunning admission by the Justice Department, contained in a recent court filing with the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court…Stephanie Neville -
Lawmakers Urge Justice Department to Start Enforcing Porn Laws
If you’re indifferent about the crisis of pornography, The New York Times can change that—almost instantly. The paper jolted an entire nation into caring last year with its jarring exposé, “What Teenagers Are Learning From Online Porn” (warning: extremely graphic). What kids think is normal will shock and sober you. Because these aren’t Playboy magazines stashed under…Tony Perkins -
DOJ Watchdog Finds ‘Significant Inaccuracies’ in Surveillance Warrants Against Trump Aide
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General found “significant inaccuracies” in the FBI’s applications for warrants to conduct surveillance against a Trump campaign adviser, according to a report released Monday. Michael Horowitz, the inspector general, said that the FBI’s decision to open investigations against Trump campaign advisers in July 2016, as well as to…Chuck Ross -
Justice Department Crushes Global Porn Network
“Do not upload adult porn.” That was the stomach-turning warning from one of the most heinous child pornography sites on the dark web. Thanks to the Department of Justice, that horrible corner of cyberspace was just the target of an international takedown—a victory months in the making. “According to the indictment we’re unsealing today,” U.S….Tony Perkins -
Justice Department to Release Russia Probe Documents on Monthly Basis
The Justice Department will start releasing 500 pages of notes from witness interviews in the special counsel’s Russia probe each month, beginning Nov. 1. A Justice Department lawyer said at a court hearing that the agency has 800 witness interview transcripts, known as FD-302s, totaling more than 44,000 pages, CNN reported. CNN and BuzzFeed sued the…Chuck Ross -
DOJ Investigates 3 College Students Who Posed With Guns in Front of Emmett Till Memorial
The Justice Department is investigating a photo of three Ole Miss students holding guns in front of a memorial dedicated to Emmett Till, CNN reported. The three University of Mississippi students were suspended from the school’s Kappa Alpha fraternity chapter after the photo, obtained by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting and ProPublica, surfaced last week. The now-viral…Audrey Conklin -
Mueller: Indicting Trump ‘Not an Option’ Because of DOJ Rules
Special counsel Robert Mueller said Wednesday that his report speaks for itself and he doesn’t plan to speak again about his nearly two-year investigation, even as many Democrats in Congress clamor to hear more. Mueller, a former FBI director as well as federal prosecutor, also made a subtle reference to impeachment of President Donald Trump…Fred Lucas -
Mark Meadows Expects Criminal Referrals in DOJ Watchdog’s Report
North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows said Sunday that he expects the Justice Department’s inspector general to issue criminal referrals as part of an investigation into the FBI’s possible abuse of the surveillance courts during the Trump-Russia probe. “We’re fully anticipating that the [inspector general’s] report will come out, as Attorney General Barr said, in…Chuck Ross -
Justice Department Says It Agrees With Judge Who Ruled Obamacare Unconstitutional
The Department of Justice sided with a district court ruling Monday that found the Affordable Care Act violated the Constitution. U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor issued the ruling in December 2018, finding that the Obamacare individual mandate had been rendered unconstitutional due to the partial repeal Republicans passed in 2017. The ruling has been appealed to…Anders Hagstrom -
Graham Calls for New Special Counsel to Probe Justice Department
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced his committees will launch a probe into the Justice Department’s alleged abuse of spying, widely believed to be the predicate for investigations into alleged ties between President Donald Trump and Russia. “I’m going to get answers to this. If no one else cares, it seems that Republicans do,”…Fred Lucas -
House Republicans Urge Sending Cohen Case to Justice Department for Alleged Perjury
Two leading House Republicans are ramping up pressure on House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings to refer the case of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to the Justice Department because of allegations that he perjured himself during congressional testimony. Republicans Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows claimed in their letter that Cohen…Chuck Ross