Category: Justice Department

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WATCH: Democrat Shreds Jim Jordan For Not Investigating DOJ Abuses When Trump Was POTUS

A 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.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NDZnJho4V0
 

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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.

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Congress GOP Justice Department

Here’s How Democrats Can Use Jim Jordan’s ‘Investigations’ Of The DOJ Against Him

Despite the fact that he’s personally compromised on any number of fronts (not the least of which is his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is about to crank up all sorts of hearings in the House of Representatives targeting the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

As recently as last August, Jordan even suggested he might want to impeach Garland, telling Newsmax host Rob Schmitt:

“I think everything is on the table, we have got to take our message to the American people and not get overconfident but campaign in a confident way, win back the majority.”

And now Jordan wants to open hearings regarding the “weaponization” of the DOJ in the Biden administration, even though the main reason he’s doing so is to satisfy right-wingers and former president Donald Trump, who still has his panties in a wad as a result of the FBI serving a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago for classified documents he was told by a court to turn over.

But as Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post notes, Democrats on the committees can turn the tables on Jordan and his GOP allies.

How? Consider Rubin’s excellent op-ed in which she lays out these points:

Put Republicans under the Microscope

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), for example, had his phone seized by the FBI last year as part of its investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Perry says he was told he’s not a target of the investigation, but it’s clear he played a key role in the ploy to install then-Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark as acting attorney general. The warrant for his phone also indicates that there was probable cause that a crime had been committed and that there was evidence on his phone.

Perry now wants to serve on the very committee that will investigate the DOJ even though he is personally under investigation by that same agency.

Use the panel to continue the Jan. 6 committee’s work

As I’ve argued, the Jan. 6 committee never got to the bottom of the FBI’s failure to operationalize intelligence about violence at the U.S. Capitol. Nor did the committee uncover why the Pentagon failed to promptly authorize mobilization of the National Guard or why messages from the U.S. Secret Service from that day were apparently erased. Democrats should press for answers on those questions. They should also seek testimony under oath from key officials, such as former acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller.

Exploit the GOP’s argument against congressional oversight

This would turn Jordan and the GOP’s bizarro logic on its head, and it would also serve to point out the blatant hypocrisy of Republicans.

Now, Democrats can use Republicans’ argument against them. MAGA inquisitors have left little doubt that the sole purpose of the committee is to skewer prosecutors, meddle in ongoing criminal matters and protect Trump. This blatantly violates separation of powers, constituting its own politicization. Therefore, any subpoena of information from the Justice Department’s investigations can and should be challenged not only for violating separation of powers but also for absence of a legitimate legislative purpose.

It’ll be fun to watch Jordan if and when any of these tactics are used by Democrats. And if they really want to push Jimbo’s buttons, they should also ask him what he knew and when it knew it about the rape of wrestlers on the team he served as an assistant coach for at Ohio State University and his possible involvement in the Capitol insurrection.

If Jim Jordan wants “transparency,” let’s see just how transparent he’s willing to be.