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
Declassified Memo Shows DOJ Worked to ‘Tip the Scales of Justice,’ Lawmaker Says
A classified memo on potential FBI abuse of government surveillance was released Friday, and some lawmakers say it suggests government corruption. “At what point are we going to have real accountability in the Department of Justice and the FBI,” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said in a conference call with reporters Friday, adding: Obviously we have…Rachel del Guidice -
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The Brand Memorandum: The Justice Department Reaffirms Its Commitment to the Rule of Law
It is common for agencies to issue a variety of document—generically termed “guidance documents”—to inform the public how the agency interprets the law. That is all well and good. There are a bazillion statutes and regulations–to steal a phrase, “they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach.” Anything that agencies can do to help…Paul J. Larkin -
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DOJ Backs Effort to Repeal California Law Requiring Pro-Lifers to Promote Abortion
The Department of Justice filed an amicus (or “friend-of-the-court”) brief at the Supreme Court, urging the justices to overturn a California law requiring pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to post information about state-funded abortions. The Supreme Court has agreed to review the law in November. The law, called the Reproductive FACT Act, requires crisis pregnancy clinics to post…Kevin Daley -
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Justice Department Requests ‘Unredacted’ Findings of Senate Investigation That Included Planned Parenthood
The Department of Justice is requesting unredacted copies of a 2016 report conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee on those involved in fetal tissue and body parts sales and transfer. “At this point, the records are intended for investigative use only—we understand that a resolution from the Senate may be required if the department were…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
7 Questions the Justice Department Must Answer About Uranium One and Clinton Foundation
While the media’s attention has shifted to the indictment of Paul Manafort, the Obama administration’s handling of the Uranium One “bribery plot” (as The Hill called it in a startling expose) raises serious, critical questions that must be answered about the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation. These questions can only be answered if Congress…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Senate Eyes Permanent Ban on Justice Department ‘Slush Fund’ for Political Friends
Legislation to codify the U.S. attorney general’s recent ban on diverting millions in legal settlements to outside groups is now in the Senate’s court, following last week’s House action. The Justice Department practice, widely criticized as a $1 billion “slush fund” benefiting liberal advocacy groups in the last 30 months of the Obama administration alone,…Kevin Mooney -
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Sessions Highlights 2 Most Vital Liberties Justice Department Will Aim to Protect
Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke about the accomplishments of the Justice Department and its new direction in a speech at The Heritage Foundation on Thursday. Sessions discussed the long tradition of the rule of law in America and how it has been so critical to our success as a nation. He called this tradition “unique…Jarrett Stepman -
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Justice Department Frees Up Uranium One Informant to Congress
The Department of Justice released a former FBI informant from a confidentiality agreement, allowing him to testify before Congress about what he saw while undercover during a former President Barack Obama-era deal where a Russian-backed company bought a uranium firm with mines in the U.S. Congressional committees have previously tried to interview the informant, whose…Henry Rodgers -
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Obama Justice Department’s $1 Billion ‘Slush Fund’ Boosted Liberal Groups
President Barack Obama’s Justice Department created a “slush fund” of nearly $1 billion using legal settlements with banks and steered those funds to political allies on the left while excluding conservative groups, internal documents show. Tony West, an associate attorney general during the Obama administration who is now a top official at PepsiCo Inc., figures…Kevin Mooney -
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House Panels to Reopen Investigations Into Justice Department’s 2016 Decisions
Lawmakers are reopening an investigation into decisions made by the Justice Department in 2016, including those relating to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information. “Decisions made by the Department of Justice in 2016 have led to a host of outstanding questions that must be answered,” Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the chairman…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
In Positive Turn, Justice Department Prosecuting Wrongdoers Rather Than Cutting Deals to Win Fines
Federal prosecutors have accused a group of U.S. postal workers servicing the Atlanta area of taking bribes in exchange for delivering shipments of illegal drugs. U.S. Attorney John Horn said, “For cash in their pockets they were willing to endanger themselves and the residents on their routes and bring harmful drugs into the community.” Contrast…John-Michael Seibler -
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Trump’s Justice Department Still Defending Obama Contraception Mandate
Advocates for religious liberty are dismayed that little has changed with respect to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, even after President Donald Trump signed a religious freedom executive order earlier this year. “I believe the president is committed to religious freedom and that Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions is a good man. But their goals simply haven’t…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Why Are Trump’s Justice Department Appointees Protecting the IRS?
Various media sources have reported that federal District Court Judge Reggie Walton has ordered the IRS to finally respond to various legal requests for information and documents made by the conservative tea party organizations that sued the agency. But the question that no one is asking is why that order was even necessary, and why…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Trump Justice Department Ends Operation Choke Point
Republican House members announced Friday that the Justice Department has ended the controversial Obama-era program targeting payday lenders, gun shops, and other legal businesses, in response to several House Republicans who requested Operation Choke Point be shut down. “This is no way for law enforcement to operate,” House Republicans say. “We share your view that…Fred Lucas -
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Justice Department Opens Civil Rights Probe of Violence in Charlottesville
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the violence surrounding an aborted white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Hours after a young man said to have white supremacist sympathies drove a car through a group of counterprotesters Saturday in the city's downtown, killing a woman, Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a late-night…Jonah Bennett -
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Chicago Sues Justice Department Over Withholding Funds to Sanctuary Cities
The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday against the Department of Justice, claiming its policy of withholding federal funding to sanctuary cities is unconstitutional and constitutes blackmail. The suit names Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the defendant. It contests Sessions’ July announcement that the Justice Department will not provide Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program…Anders Hagstrom -
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How the Justice Department Helped Bring Down the Largest Criminal Marketplace on the Internet
The Department of Justice announced the shutdown of “the largest criminal marketplace on the internet.” The site, AlphaBay, was launched in 2013 after authorities shut down a similar dark web marketplace known as the “Silk Road.” According to the Justice Department, AlphaBay has been hosting over 200,000 users and at least 40,000 illicit vendors. While…Mike Muller -
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As Justice Department Ramps Up Fight Against Violent and Drug Crime, Property Owners Put at Risk
This week, the Department of Justice unveiled a new directive ramping up federal civil forfeiture. The new policy restarts so-called “adoptive” forfeitures as part of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ focus on addressing and reducing violent and drug-related crime. This renewed attention on combatting violent crime and supporting law enforcement officers cannot come at a better…John G. Malcolm -
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Legal Experts Weigh in on Trump’s Right to Be Riled at Sessions, DOJ
Jeff Sessions will likely continue to lead the Department of Justice, despite the public clash between President Donald Trump and his choice for attorney general. “Sessions should un-recuse himself and get rid of Mueller,” @TomFitton says. But Trump’s frustration with the direction of the Russian probe and the special prosecutor are understandable, said Tom Fitton,…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How Jeff Sessions Just Stopped the Justice Department From Robbing the Public
It might seem strange to see a headline stating that the U.S. attorney general has stopped the Justice Department from robbing the public, but that is exactly what Attorney General Jeff Sessions just did. In a memorandum dated June 5 that was directed to the head of each component of the Department of Justice and…Paul J. Larkin