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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- 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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
- News
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 -
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Lawmakers Urge IRS, Justice Department to Return $29K Seized from Dairy Farmers
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee is urging the Justice Department, Treasury Department, and Internal Revenue Service to return money “inappropriately” seized by the IRS under civil asset forfeiture. Led by Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Ranking Member John Lewis, D-Ga., the group of 14 lawmakers also…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Noncitizen Voting Case Pits Justice Department Against States That Require Proof of Citizenship
The free-for-all boxing match among the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, Kansas, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) resumed on Wednesday, March 9. They’re tussling over the right of states to require proof of citizenship from people using the federal voter registration form. Federal Voter Registration In Courtroom…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
Court Ruling Undermines Justice Department’s Use of Fines as Slush Funds
Should individuals be allowed to turn criminal fines into donations for their favorite charities? U.S. District Judge Janet Arterton recently faced this question and correctly said no. But scholars have raised the question before in response to prosecutors’ use of settlement funds reached in criminal prosecutions of major companies—some totaling billions of dollars—as checks to…John-Michael Seibler -
- News
Justice Department Halts Program Allowing Law Enforcement to Split Proceeds of Seized Cash, Property
The Justice Department is halting a controversial program that allows law enforcement to keep most of the proceeds of cash and property they seize from Americans under federal law, sometimes without charging anyone with a crime. Now the law enforcement community, which benefits from the program, is pushing back against the Justice Department, saying its decision…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
How Will the DOJ Respond if Volkswagen Knowingly Deceived the EPA?
The Environmental Protection Agency recently sent a Notice of Violation to Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., alleging that “VW manufactured and installed [software] in certain model year 2009 through 2015 diesel light-duty vehicles equipped with 2.0 liter engines.” The software “senses whether the vehicle is being tested or not based on various inputs including the…John-Michael Seibler -
- Opinion
Justice Department Should Enforce Rules Mandating Voter Rolls Updates
Why isn’t the Justice Department enforcing the law and requiring state local election officials to keep voter rolls updated and current? Last week, the Public Interest Legal Foundation launched a project to clean up America’s voter rolls. Their lawsuit is based on a decades-old statute that requires states and counties to make reasonable efforts to…Joseph A. Vanderhulst -
- Opinion
The Clinton Emails: Will DOJ Conduct a Real Investigation?
The debate over the revelation of the referral to the Justice Department of Hillary Clinton’s email activities as Secretary of State missed several important points, particularly the preferential treatment she has been given so far. Any other federal employee found to have discussed high-level, sensitive government business in her personal emails, including possibly classified materials,…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Justice Department: No Proof Gun Dealers, Pawn Shops Purposely Targeted in Operation Choke Point
An internal review of the Justice Department’s controversial initiative known as Operation Choke Point found no evidence that agency attorneys intentionally used the program to target legal and legitimate businesses such as pawn shops, gun dealers and payday lenders. “Based on the results of this inquiry, [the Office of Professional Responsibility] concluded that Department of…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
New Documents Implicate Justice Department in IRS Conservative-Targeting Scandal
Obama’s Department of Justice may have been involved in the IRS scheme to target conservative non-profit organizations, according to newly-released documents obtained by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act. The documents reveal that Lois Lerner met with attorneys from the Public Integrity Section (including its chief) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
Senator Again Calls for Ending Justice Department’s Operation Choke Point
Comparing Operation Choke Point to Tom Cruise’s “Minority Report,” a film where police use “psychic technology” to arrest alleged murderers before they actually commit a crime, Sen. Mike Crapo today made another attempt to end the Justice Department’s controversial program. “To explain [Operation Choke Point], I want to remind everybody of a movie that came…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
The Justice Department Is Giving Away Your Money (Without Your Permission)
For the past decade, the U.S. Justice Department has engaged in the dubious practice of giving away the public’s money when it settles a case, by sometimes conditioning a settlement on a company’s agreement to donate money to a third-party of the government’s (or the defendant’s) choosing. For example, the Justice Department settled cases last…Paul J. Larkin