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
What This Justice Department Official Said About Treating Parents as ‘Domestic Terrorists’
Two Senate Republicans tangled Wednesday with one of Attorney General Merrick Garland’s key deputies over her boss’ proposal to use federal anti-terrorism laws against parents who speak out against critical race theory, mask mandates, or other contested issues in their public school systems. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil…Fred Lucas -
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Justice Department Asks Judge to Block Texas Abortion Law
The Department of Justice asked a federal judge late Tuesday night to block Texas’ Heartbeat Act, which prohibits abortions after the baby’s heartbeat can be detected. The DOJ called for a temporary restraining order or injunction against the new law, arguing that the Heartbeat Act intends “to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights.” “When…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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University Professors Ask Justice Department to Stop Looking for Chinese Spies
A group of professors at Stanford University has asked the Justice Department to discontinue a program aimed at combating Chinese economic espionage. The letter, signed by 177 Stanford faculty members from more than 40 departments and addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, asks the Justice Department to end its China Initiative, a program started in 2018 that…Ailan Evans -
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Justice Department Sues Texas Over ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Law
President Joe Biden’s administration is suing Texas over the state’s new Heartbeat Act, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday. “The Department of Justice has a duty to defend the Constitution of the United States and to uphold the rule of law,” Garland said. “Today we fulfill that duty by filing the lawsuit I have just…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Former Justice Department Lawyer Testifies to Voting Section’s History of Abusing Its Authority
For anyone who thinks that passing HR 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, is a good idea, watching the startling testimony of a veteran Justice Department lawyer should make one quickly realize what a bad—and dangerous—idea it really is. At a hearing Tuesday intended to build support for HR 4, Maureen Riordan did…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Justice Department’s Lawsuit Against Georgia Is Completely Partisan
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, headed by new, radical Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, filed a lawsuit on June 25 against Georgia. The Justice Department claimed the state’s recently enacted election reform law, SB 202, violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act because it discriminates against black Georgia voters. The complaint reads like a press…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Trump Antagonist Opposes Arizona Election Audit as Justice Department Official
A foe of former President Donald Trump is leading the Biden Justice Department’s push to discredit or halt an election audit in Arizona’s largest county—an issue that is heating up this week. Pamela S. Karlan, principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, warned the leader of the Arizona state Senate…Fred Lucas -
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Justice Department Won’t Oppose Arizona Election Reform Before Supreme Court Hears Case
On the cusp of Supreme Court arguments about Arizona’s ban on the controversial practice of ballot harvesting, President Joe Biden’s Justice Department pulled a surprise maneuver—inaction. The Biden administration in effect maintained the same position, for now, as the Trump administration regarding a major election integrity case. In a carefully worded letter to the Supreme…Fred Lucas -
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Stacey Abrams Staffer Helping Biden Pick Justice Department Team
After winning the vote in the Electoral College last week, former Vice President Joe Biden said the election process “should be celebrated, not attacked.” Biden derided what he called “baseless claims about the legitimacy of the results” of the presidential election and said, “Respecting the will of the people is at the heart of our…Fred Lucas -
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Rioters Could Jeopardize Federal Funding in 3 Cities, Justice Department Says
New York City, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon, have allowed ongoing violence and destruction of property and refused to institute measures to prevent criminal activity, the Department of Justice said Monday. These cities met the criteria President Donald Trump issued on Sept. 2 to identify cities that have not sufficiently dealt with rioters and would be subject to funding…Kaylee Greenlee -
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Rep. Liz Cheney Demands DOJ Investigate Whether China, Russia Are Infiltrating US Environmental Groups
Rep. Liz Cheney, R- Wyo., asked the Department of Justice in September to investigate whether Russia and China are working to infiltrate environmental groups to influence U.S. environmental policy, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned. Russia and China may be infiltrating nongovernmental groups in an attempt to meddle in domestic energy and environmental policy,…Chris White -
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Operation Legend Makes 2,000 Arrests, Seizes 182 Pounds of Drugs in 5 Weeks, DOJ Says
Operation Legend, a federal initiative to combat murder and violent crime in major U.S. cities, has recorded over 2,000 arrests and seized large quantities of narcotics since the program’s July inception, according to the Department of Justice. A total of 147 people have been arrested for homicide, 544 firearms have been seized, and around 182 pounds (83…Jake Dima -
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Justice Department Announces FISA Reforms to Prevent Another Carter Page Debacle
The Justice Department announced a series of reforms to its procedures for obtaining Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act orders on Tuesday aimed at preventing abuses that the FBI committed during its investigation of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Attorney General William Barr issued two memos laying out the reforms Tuesday. One memo announced the creation of…Chuck Ross -
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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 -
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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 -
- Opinion
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 -
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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 -
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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 -
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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 -
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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