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
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 -
- News
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 -
- Opinion
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 -
- Opinion
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 -
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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 -
- Opinion
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 -
- Opinion
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 -
- News
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