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 Ends Government Bankrolling of Liberal Groups in Legal Settlements
The federal government no longer will make settlement agreements with any person or organization not directly involved in a legal dispute, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Wednesday. The move by Sessions abolished a practice that has funneled likely millions of dollars in banking settlements to outside organizations in such “third-party” payments. Left-wing groups, including La…Rachel del Guidice -
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March for Life Wants Justice Department to Investigate Planned Parenthood
The March for Life, along with over a dozen other organizations, signed a letter released Tuesday asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI acting Director Andrew McCabe to investigate Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the selling of fetal tissue. “We, the undersigned representing millions of Americans, strongly support an investigation into paid fetal tissue transfers involving Planned…Paul Runko -
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Veteran Justice Department Officials Weigh Need for Special Prosecutor in Russia Probe
President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey gave more fodder to Democrats, many of whom were already calling for a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Matthew Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, is unsure this case measures up to past cases involving…Paul Runko -
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Watchdog Group Sues Justice Department for Sally Yates Emails
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch is suing the Justice Department for emails that could reveal what former acting Attorney General Sally Yates knew about alleged connections between Russia and the Trump administration. Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit Friday under the Freedom of Information Act, Politico reported, when Yates already was scheduled to testify Monday before the Senate on…Thomas Phippen -
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Top Tax-Writing Republicans Renew Call for DOJ to Investigate Lois Lerner Over IRS Scandal
Two top tax-writing Republicans in the House are calling on the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation into whether former IRS official Lois Lerner unlawfully targeted conservative organizations applying for tax-exempt status. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and tax policy subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday, noting…Juliegrace Brufke -
- Opinion
The Justice Department’s Latest Misbehavior
For the past decade, John Fund, J. Christian Adams, and I have been writing about the misbehavior, unethical conduct, and lack of professionalism exhibited by lawyers inside the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department, including the Voting Section. The situation apparently has not improved, given the serious accusations of unprofessional conduct made by…Hans von Spakovsky -
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How Trump’s DOJ Can Start Enforcing Federal Marijuana Law
On Thursday last week, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said he “believe[s] that we will see greater enforcement” of the federal laws against recreational marijuana. While he acknowledged that the question to which he was responding was better directed to the Department of Justice, Spicer said that state legalization of recreational marijuana “is something…Cully Stimson -
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Trump Wants Justice Department to Investigate Leakers. How That Works.
Frustrated by a proliferation of leaks early in his administration, President Donald Trump last week said he directed the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation. “I’ve actually called the Justice Department to look into the leaks,” Trump said during a 75-minute news conference at the White House. “Those are criminal leaks.” The spotlight…Josh Siegel -
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Acting Attorney General’s Defiance of Trump Shows Politicized Nature of DOJ
The kerfuffle on Monday night over former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates’ statement criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring better screening of travelers from failed countries that are the biggest sources of terrorists in the world shows the difference between a Justice Department guided by politics versus the rule of law. In the statement…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Court Checks Overreach by Obama Justice Department in Mail Fraud Case
Courts have begun to restrain the growing scope of federal criminal law in certain areas, which often overlap with state laws. Several recent cases have checked the government for overstepping its bounds. A federal court of appeals recently reviewed a case involving federal government overreaching through the criminal law. The government alleged that former Massachusetts…David Rosenthal -
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Trump DOJ Likely to Find Many Offenses in Voter Fraud Probe, Experts Say
President Donald Trump’s Justice Department will likely find numerous offenses to warrant launching a broad investigation into voter fraud, legal experts and watchdog groups say. Trump has said that more than 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast during the 2016 election, causing him to receive a lower popular vote total than his…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
How a Jeff Sessions Justice Department Can Change Course on Crime
Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’ two-day marathon confirmation hearing left Americans with many takeaways—some on his many qualifications for the office of United States attorney general to which President-elect Donald Trump has nominated him, and others on the merit, or lack thereof, of his opposition. In the weeks leading up to this hearing, opponents in Congress…John-Michael Seibler -
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Obama’s DOJ Fines Police Department $10K for Refusing to Hire Noncitizens
Denver County’s sheriff office has been slapped with a fine by the Department of Justice because it refused to hire noncitizens as deputies. From the beginning of 2015 through last March, the Denver Sheriff Department went on a major hiring binge, adding more than 200 new deputies. But those jobs ended up only going to citizens,…Blake Neff -
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Cruz, Lee Step Up Claims That Justice Department Isn’t Doing Enough to Protect Churches
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are pressing their case that the Department of Justice favors abortion clinics over churches, demanding that the law enforcement agency take steps to ensure “the rights of all American citizens”—not just some—are protected. In a letter sent Tuesday, obtained first by The Daily Signal, Cruz…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
‘Bridgegate’ Was Stupid, Not Criminal: DOJ Indictment Oversteps
This week, the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal goes to trial, with former officials in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration facing serious charges from the U.S. Department of Justice. Not since London Bridge came falling down in 1281 has an overpass caused such a stir. The backstory: In 2013, Christie was running for re-election. Like every…Paul J. Larkin -
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Justice Department Knew of IRS Scandal 2 Years Before Congress but Did Nothing
Recently unearthed documents reveal that the FBI knew the IRS was unfairly targeting groups because of their conservative politics two years before Congress even heard about the agency’s misconduct. The revelation has already added fodder to the conservative case to impeach the current IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Almost 300 pages of documents released Thursday and…Philip Wegmann -
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Senators Ready Bill to Stop DOJ From Bankrolling Liberal Groups
The Senate may take steps to end a Justice Department slush fund that has channeled millions of dollars in banking settlements to outside organizations, including left-wing groups such as La Raza and NeighborWorks America. Four Republican senators—James Lankford of Oklahoma, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Utah’s Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee—said they would introduce legislation…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
DOJ Wants to Hide the Names of Illegal Aliens Granted Amnesty
The Justice Department is resisting a judge’s order to provide ethics training for its lawyers and is objecting to turning over to the court the names of illegal aliens who were granted what amounts to administrative amnesty (“deferrals”) in stark violation of an injunction issued by the court. On May 19, Judge Andrew Hanen of…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Justice Department Kept Public in Dark About Iranian Hackers Until After Obama’s Nuclear Deal
On March 24, the Department of Justice indicted seven Iranian hackers for two cyber-crimes. The charges result from the individuals’ attacks on U.S. bank websites and the breach of a New York dam’s control systems. If the Justice Department truly desires to make its point known on cyber-hacking, it should shine a light on Iran’s…Riley Walters -
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Sens. Cruz, Lee Accuse Justice Department of Favoring Abortion Clinics Over Churches
Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah are accusing the Justice Department of pursuing “frivolous prosecutions” against the pro-life movement and having, according to the senators’ offices, “what appears to be an exceptionally heavy bias” in favor of abortion clinics over houses of worship in a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General…Kelsey Bolar