All articles tagged with #justice department
The Justice Department says refunds for tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court will take time, and it did not indicate plans to seek a rehearing despite Trump’s online remarks. Since the ruling, dozens of companies have rushed to court for refunds, joining hundreds already filed, with officials promising more details to come.
The Justice Department has indicted 30 more defendants tied to the January anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, bringing the total charged in the case to at least 39 people including nine already named, among them Don Lemon. The new arrests come amid ongoing controversy over immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Lemon had previously been charged and later indicted with eight others on conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom and interfering with worship, after a magistrate had questioned probable cause for some arrests. Court filings also note a civil-rights-related motion by Orlando Sonza (now working with Harmeet Dhillon) and a church-member lawsuit alleging the service disruption from the protest.
New York Times reporting shows seven defendants listed as 'proffer at 500' in the Epstein files were involved in or seeking cooperation with prosecutors; the DOJ's initial failure to redact their names led to public exposure that could endanger them, prompting a re-upload with redactions. The episode underscores how a rushed release of the Epstein materials risked sensitive information and raises questions about the department's handling of redactions and cooperating witnesses.
The DOJ faces a high-stakes court hearing to justify charging Kilmar Abrego García in a long-running human-smuggling case, arguing the indictment wasn’t punishment for his successful deportation challenge. The defense asserts vindictive prosecution, pointing to remarks by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and a prior ruling by Judge Waverly Crenshaw about a realistic likelihood of retaliation. Prosecutors plan to call Homeland Security Investigations agents and former Nashville U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire to show legitimate prosecutorial motives; Abrego’s team seeks dismissal. The outcome could determine whether the case collapses or proceeds to trial.
A federal magistrate in Virginia ruled the Justice Department may not search the contents of devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson as part of a leaked-classified-documents probe, saying allowing a broad review would resemble an unlawful general warrant. The court will conduct the filtering itself to isolate material tied to the case, citing concerns about Natanson’s work product and First Amendment protections. Natanson is not believed to be a target, and the ruling follows a home raid linked to a contractor charged in the leak case, highlighting tensions between leak investigations and press freedom.
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. unanimously rejected Jeanine Pirro's bid to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a social-video urging service members to disobey unlawful orders, effectively halting the case in that district; the development fuels debate over DOJ independence and political interference, with the possibility of pursuing charges in another district still open.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon permanently barred the DOJ from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith’s final report on Trump’s handling of Mar-a-Lago classified documents, saying disclosure now would violate fairness and risk attorney‑client privilege and grand-jury secrecy, amounting to a manifest injustice since the case never went to trial. Cannon criticized Smith for proceeding after she previously ruled his appointment unconstitutional, noted the report’s release could undermine the Dismissal Order, and said the parties largely agreed not to disclose. She denied intervention by groups seeking disclosure and left FOIA requests blocked unless a higher court overturns her order, highlighting ongoing controversy over the Mar‑a‑Lago case and Smith’s findings.
The Department of Justice fired interim U.S. Attorney James Hundley for the Eastern District of Virginia just hours after a panel of federal judges appointed him, with Deputy AG Todd Blanche emphasizing that the president—not judges—selects U.S. attorneys, highlighting a continuing clash over who has the appointment power for federal prosecutors following related firings and political pressure.
A panel of judges in the Eastern District of Virginia appointed veteran litigator James W. Hundley as interim U.S. attorney, but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche fired him hours later, underscoring a broader clash over whether courts or the president/DOJ appoint interim U.S. attorneys and highlighting ongoing disputes over interim leadership in federal offices.
The Justice Department fired its top federal prosecutor in Virginia in a management shakeup, occurring as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke to reporters about the department’s broader release of millions of Jeffrey Epstein documents.
Hours after Eastern District of Virginia judges appointed James Hundley as interim U.S. attorney to replace Lindsey Halligan, the Justice Department said Hundley was fired, highlighting a clash between the DOJ and the White House. Deputy AG Todd Blanche publicly announced the firing on social media, and Halligan’s brief tenure followed controversial prosecutions that a federal court ruled were invalid, underscoring that EDVA judges have the authority to appoint a U.S. attorney until Senate confirmation.
More than 5,000 Justice Department employees left in the first year of Trump’s second term, a turnover described as a ‘purge’ that private law firms, local prosecutors’ offices, nonprofits, and political campaigns are capitalizing on. Ex-prosecutors like Michael Romano are shifting into private practice and testifying at congressional hearings, while others join firms or run for office, signaling a sharp loss of institutional memory at DOJ and broader implications for accountability and democracy.
Fulton County, Ga., officials allege the Justice Department and FBI omitted crucial information and relied on questionable witnesses in the FBI affidavit used to justify a search of the county’s 2020 election ballots. They say the filing describes routine election mistakes rather than a crime and failed to disclose prior investigations that could undermine witnesses’ credibility. The county seeks the return of the materials and has pressed to unseal more documents, with a court hearing set next week.
The DOJ signaled it will seek to dismiss Steve Bannon’s 2022 contempt conviction for defying the Jan. 6 committee, a move that would erase the conviction (Bannon has already served four months in prison) with limited practical effect and reflects ongoing political-legal maneuvering around Jan. 6 and Trump-era clemency patterns.
Over years, the FBI examined Epstein’s bank records, emails, and homes, interviewed victims, and reviewed his ties to influential people; a DOJ release and AP reporting indicate the bureau concluded Epstein wasn’t running a sex-trafficking network for powerful men.