Category: Justice Department

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GOP Justice Department U.S. Senate

Cory Booker Expertly Debunks Republican Lies About The DOJ At Wednesday Hearing: VIDEO

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) used a Wednesday appearance by Attorney General Merrick Garland before the Senate Judiciary Committee to debunk one lie after another that Republicans are fond of using when it comes to the Justice Department.

It was a master class in debate and logic by Booker, who followed Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) in questioning AG Garland.

First up was the lie Republicans have been repeating all over Fox News that the DOJ had allowed the classification of the drug fentanyl to expire. All drugs are considered for classification from time to time, but the one for fentanyl doesn’t expire until 2024. Garland also confirmed that fentanyl will undoubtedly be classified as a dangerous drug when 2024 arrives.

Booker then moved on to the issue of policing:

“On policing. It took really important steps to ensure that the thought enforcement agencies are engaging in the best practices to make themselves and the public safer. Some of these policies the department has adopted in his making great progress on, including limitations on chokeholds, guidelines for no-knock warrants, which is extraordinarily dangerous for police officers themselves.

“And a cleaner standard for the use of deadly force. Even in the Trump EO included the need for us to have a database that is, I guess, called an accountability database, to serve as a repository for officer misconduct records within the next eight months. Now this past January. Trump’s executive order which was issued in June of 2020 also directed the attorney general to create such a database to collect this information.”

The New Jersey Democrat also mentioned that the Biden administration had worked with Congress on grant programs that fund efforts to help local cops with training and ways to help reduce police violence.

In less than 5 minutes time, Booker effectively swatted down the bullshit that flows from members of the GOP anytime they open their mouths about the Justice Department.

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Congress Donald Trump Jr. GOP Justice Department The Trump Adminstration

WATCH: Democrat Chides Jim Jordan For Refusing To Investigate DOJ Abuses When Trump Was POTUS

A Tuesday hearing of the House Judiciary Committee turned into a reminder of what a hypocritical horse’s ass the chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), is when it comes to investigating the abuses of power in the Trump administration.

At the hearing, committee member Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) noted:

“I’ve been concerned about the weaponization of the federal government program. And I think it was pretty clear during the previous administration, [former Trump attorney] Michael Cohen went to jail for doing what Donald Trump asked him to do. Donald Trump was called Individual 1. He didn’t go to jail. He didn’t even go to jail when the administration changed, and Merrick Garland came in.”

The Tennessee Democrat added that Trump’s former attorney and fixer had been returned to prison simply because he dared to write a book about what he’d done on disgraced ex-president’s behalf.

“It’s come out; it was the Justice Department that did that. Could we go, Mr. Chair, back into those issues and look at the weaponization that occurred during the Trump [administration], particularly that Michael Cohen incident?”

When Jordan said he only remembered the lies Michael Cohen allegedly told during his congressional testimony, Congressman Cohen asked, “But you do remember he went to jail?” 

Jordan: “I remember that too.”

Congressman Cohen continued to press:

“And they put him back in when he was going to publish a book because they wanted him to not comment on it, and you do remember that when they put him back in jail, they put him in solitary confinement?”

Jordan: “I don’t recall the details.”

Cohen:

“Should we not be able to study that because you don’t know it? That’s weaponization!”

Jordan continued to hem and haw, trying to raise the red herring of parents being targeted for speaking out at school board meetings, but Congressman Cohen reminded him, “I’m all for parents, but that’s not the issue. The issue is the weaponization of the Justice Department that happened under Trump like never before in our country’s history.”

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Capitol Insurrection Fox News January 6 Justice Department

Will Special Counsel Jack Smith Charge Fox News For Their Role In January 6?

Now that a court filing has proven Fox News knew former president Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 election were complete bullshit, it’s worth considering the following question: Is Fox legally culpable for their role in the January 6, 2012 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and could they be charged by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith?

The answer to those questions is a resounding “yes,” according to former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, who spoke with MSNBC host Katie Phang today.

Specifically, Kirschner said he believes Fox helped incite the rioting and needs to be held accountable.

“These were not lies about which toothpaste will make your teeth whiter, or which floor wax will make your floors more shiny, these were lies about whether the American peoples’ votes were stolen and their election rigged.”

Kirshner added:

“It’s like they were packing the case with gunpowder, using these lies as a vehicle to keep the viewership, you know, engaged. They were just waiting for Donald Trump to light that gunpowder — which he did on January 6th and it erupted into violence.”

The former prosecutor then laid out the case that can be made against Fox:

“I think we need to challenge the federal government — this defamation suit is important — but what is even more important is the federal government needs to step up and address these intentional and reckless lies. I would argue are reasonably likely, if not intended to, incite imminent violence. This issue has got to be grabbed onto and shaken and addressed.”

Kirschner concluded by explaining that the Justice Department has a responsibility to make sure what took place on Jan. 6 never happens again:

“Should Jack Smith begin to dig into the implications of Fox News, you know, riling up the Trump base such that Trump now has a more willing, more ready group of insurrectionists?

“I think it is an abdication of the federal government’s responsibility if they don’t find the right vehicle, the right organization, to dig into these problems to try to protect the American people from these faux news organizations. Indeed, they [Fox] did incite imminent violence on January 6th. Does Jack Smith have adequate predication, fancy term for enough evidence, to begin investigating the impact that the Fox News lies had on what happened on January 6th? I sure hope he concludes that he does.”

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Capitol Insurrection Donald Trump January 6 Justice Department

DOJ Plans To Hit Trump With An ‘Appeal-Proof’ Charge For His Role In January 6: Report

Now that several members of the domestic terrorist group the Oath Keepers have been convicted for seditious conspiracy, many have suggested that disgraced, one-term former president Donald Trump should be charged with the same thing for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6 referred the ex-president to the Justice Department on four charges — obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to defraud the United States, inciting or assisting an insurrection, and conspiracy to make a false statement — in December, but Hugo Lowell of The Guardian suggested Tuesday morning that the DOJ will likely try to build a narrow, “appeal-proof” case against Trump.

During an appearance on MSNBC, Lowell remarked:

“The Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy verdicts really come about because the government had concrete evidence that the leaders of the Oath Keepers effectively engaged in political violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power, and because it was presented in that way and because, you know, the Oath Keepers had a quick reaction force across the river in Virginia. They had weapons and ammunition, and they were texting about we can come to the Capitol, and, you know, bring fire support if you really need it. I think that’s the kind of evidence that’s convincing for a jury.”

Lowell continued:

“It’s the kind of evidence that we’re missing as of yet with Trump, and that’s why I think that the Justice Department is looking more at an obstruction of an official proceeding kind of thing for Trump, as opposed to, you know, seditious conspiracy. I don’t think it materially makes any difference because they are still really serious felonies and they carry lengthy prison terms, and the Justice Department doesn’t like to score big home runs, they like to score single hits, and if they can find one charge that sticks with Trump, they would much prefer that.”

Ultimately, Lowell concluded, the Justice Department wants a solid case that will stand up to any appeal:

“They want a sustained conviction, they just don’t want a conviction, they want to sustain it upon appeal,” he added, “and I think he was talking about how you want to make sure it follows through all the way. They’re much more likely to take a lesser charge that is more likely to be sustained than the big charge.”

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Congress GOP Justice Department

The DOJ Just Gave A Giant Middle Finger To Jim Jordan And His Planned ‘Investigations’

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and several of his House GOP colleagues had it all planned out: They would conduct “investigations” of any number of things regarding the Justice Department, including the January 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

But if Jordan and his cohorts were expecting the DOJ to acquiesce, they found out Friday that the department will not cooperate in any manner whatsoever because doing so might jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations.

According to Politico, Justice communicated their intentions in a letter sent to Jordan.

“Consistent with longstanding policy and practice, any oversight requests must be weighed against the Department’s interests in protecting the integrity of its work,” Carlos Uriarte, DOJ’s legislative affairs chief, wrote in the five-page letter. “Longstanding Department policy prevents us from confirming or denying the existence of pending investigations in response to congressional requests or providing non-public information about our investigations.”

Clearly, the DOJ is laying down a marker and letting Jordan and others in the GOP know that they won’t be bullied or intimidated. However, Justice will cooperate in ways that are consistent with how it has handled past congressional requests for information, citing a precedent that goes back to the Reagan administration.

The Justice Department letter cites a 1982 directive from President Ronald Reagan, stressing that the administration would try to respond to congressional oversight requests and avoid invoking executive privilege, reserving it for use “only in the most compelling circumstances.” Uriarte, an assistant attorney general, said DOJ would respect the committee’s “legitimate efforts” to seek information, “consistent with our obligation to protect Executive Branch confidentiality interests.”

Jordan will likely be furious by the letter from Uriarte, but there’s nothing he can do about it. He has no right to any information about ongoing DOJ investigations and cannot compel them to share anything with him or his committee.