Latest news with #JusticeManual
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Durbin launches investigation into Ed Martin
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has launched an investigation into Ed Martin, who serves as both the pardon attorney and head of the new Weaponization Working Group. Durbin cited Martin's 'disgraceful tenure' in a prior role as well as his 'stated threats to abuse his positions at DOJ' as the rationale behind igniting the probe. The letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asks for all Martin's communications relating both to pardons and any work undertaken for the new working group. 'Following his disgraceful tenure as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Mr. Martin apparently plans to continue his misconduct in his new roles at DOJ,' he wrote. Durbin pointed to a May 13 press conference Martin held before heading to his new role, saying he plans to 'shame those [who the] DOJ does not have the evidence to charge.' 'If they can't be charged, we will name them … and in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are shamed,'' Martin said. Durbin said the statement was an 'admission' he plans to abuse his power. 'These statements are a brazen admission that Mr. Martin plans to systematically violate the Justice Manual's prohibition on extrajudicial statements by shaming uncharged parties for nakedly partisan reasons,' Durbin wrote. 'This plan clearly violates Mr. Martin's obligations under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibit prosecutors from '[making] extrajudicial comments which serve to heighten condemnation of the accused.' Weaponizing DOJ in this manner will further undermine the public's trust in the department in irreparable ways.' Durbin also questioned Martin's oversight of a series of pardons given by Trump that benefited his political allies. The senator noted the recent pardon for nursing home executive Paul Walczak for tax fraud just three weeks after Walczak's mother paid $1 million to attend a Trump fundraiser. Trump also pardoned Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, after Milton donated nearly $2 million to the Trump campaign last year, among others. 'Mr. Martin's bald-faced 'pay to play' strategy is abusing the Office of the Pardon Attorney in multiple ways to benefit President Trump and his political allies,' Durbin wrote. Martin is also planning a review of former President Biden's pardon's, included those given to his family members. DOJ did not respond to request for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Durbin launches investigation into Ed Martin
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has launched an investigation into Ed Martin, who serves as both the pardon attorney and the head of new Weaponization Working Group. Durbin cited Martin's 'disgraceful tenure' in a prior role as well as his 'stated threats to abuse his positions at DOJ' as the rationale behind igniting the probe. The letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asks for all Martin's communications relating both to pardons and any work undertaken for the new working group. 'Following his disgraceful tenure as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Mr. Martin apparently plans to continue his misconduct in his new roles at DOJ,' he wrote. Durbin pointed to a May 13 press conference Martin held before heading to his new role, saying he plans to 'shame those [who] DOJ does not have the evidence to charge.' 'If they can't be charged, we will name them … and in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are shamed,'' Martin said. Durbin said the statement was an 'admission' he plans to abuse his power. 'These statements are a brazen admission that Mr. Martin plans to systematically violate the Justice Manual's prohibition on extrajudicial statements by shaming uncharged parties for nakedly partisan reasons,' Durbin wrote. 'This plan clearly violates Mr. Martin's obligations under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibit prosecutors from 'mak[ing] extrajudicial comments which serve to heighten condemnation of the accused.' Weaponizing DOJ in this manner will further undermine the public's trust in the department in irreparable ways.' Durbin also questioned Martin's oversight of a series of pardons given by Trump that benefited his political allies. The senator noted the recent pardon for nursing home executive Paul Walczak for tax fraud just three weeks after Walczak's mother paid $1 million to attend a Trump fundraiser. Trump also pardoned Trevor Milton, founder of Nikola Corporation, after Milton donated nearly $2 million to the Trump campaign last year, among others. 'Mr. Martin's bald-faced 'pay to play' strategy is abusing the Office of the Pardon Attorney in multiple ways to benefit President Trump and his political allies,' Durbin wrote. Martin is also planning a review of former President Biden's pardon's, included those given to his family members. DOJ did not respond to request for comment.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Raskin launches probe of McIver charges in ICE facility scuffle
Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the charges filed against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and the mayor of Newark, N.J., saying the moves appears to violate Justice Department policy. McIver was charged last month after a scuffle with Department of Homeland Security officers outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility after they began to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). Alina Habba, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey and former personal attorney to President Trump, charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement, saying she used her forearms to push back against agents. Habba's office has already moved to dismiss the trespassing charges initially filed against Baraka, earning a reprimand from the judge in the case who cited an 'apparent rush in this case, culminating … in the embarrassing retraction of charges.' 'Ms. Habba's unprecedented charging decision is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to deter us from carrying out our constitutional oversight duties. It appears Ms. Habba brought these charges in violation of long-standing Department of Justice (DOJ) policies designed to prevent exactly this type of politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power,' Raskin wrote. Raskin fired off a series of questions about the charges brought against both McIver and Baraka. That includes whether there was any contact with the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ. 'DOJ prosecutors must consult with the Public Integrity Section before initiating an investigation of Members of Congress and must seek the Section's approval before bringing charges. 21 Reports suggest, however, that Ms. Habba did not,' Raskin wrote. 'The consultation requirement is designed to guard against a rampant Executive Branch weaponizing the vast apparatus of federal law enforcement against the President's perceived enemies, or even the perception that a DOJ investigation or prosecution was motivated by improper political purpose. The Justice Manual is clear that approval from the Public Integrity Section is required before charging a Member of Congress with a crime based on actions taken in their official capacity.' The Justice Department said it is considering removing the requirement that prosecutors first consult with the Public Integrity Section. Raskin asks the DOJ whom Habba consulted before bringing charges, if she coordinated with Trump or any White House staff, and to turn over all communications regarding the charges. For her part, McIver has denied any wrongdoing and noted she rejected a plea deal from Habba, saying it pushed her to 'admit to doing something that I did not do.' 'I came there to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I'm not doing that. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing my job because they don't want me to, or they want to neglect the fact that we needed to be in there to see what was going on and that detention center, and so, absolutely, no, I was not going to do that,' McIver said last month during an appearance on CNN. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hill
Raskin launches probe of McIver charges in ICE facility scuffle
Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the charges filed against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and the mayor of Newark, N.J., saying the move appears to violate Justice Department policy. McIver was charged last month after a scuffle with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility after they began to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). Alina Habba, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and former personal attorney to President Trump, charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement, saying she used her forearms to push back against agents. Habba's office has already moved to dismiss the trespassing charges initially filed against Baraka, earning a reprimand from the judge in the case who cited an 'apparent rush in this case, culminating…in the embarrassing retraction of charges.' 'Ms. Habba's unprecedented charging decision is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to deter us from carrying out our constitutional oversight duties. It appears Ms. Habba brought these charges in violation of long-standing Department of Justice (DOJ) policies designed to prevent exactly this type of politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power,' Raskin wrote. Raskin fired off a series of questions about the charges brought against both McIver and Baraka. That includes whether there was any contact with the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department. 'DOJ prosecutors must consult with the Public Integrity Section before initiating an investigation of Members of Congress and must seek the Section's approval before bringing charges. 21 Reports suggest, however, that Ms. Habba did not,' Raskin wrote. 'The consultation requirement is designed to guard against a rampant Executive Branch weaponizing the vast apparatus of federal law enforcement against the President's perceived enemies, or even the perception that a DOJ investigation or prosecution was motivated by improper political purpose. The Justice Manual is clear that approval from the Public Integrity Section is required before charging a Member of Congress with a crime based on actions taken in their official capacity.' The Justice Department said it is considering removing the requirement that prosecutors first consult with the Public Integrity Section. Raskin asks the DOJ whom Habba consulted before bringing charges, if she coordinated with Trump or any White House staff, and to turn over all communications regarding the charges. For her part, McIver has denied any wrongdoing and noted she rejected a plea deal from Habba, saying it pushed her to 'admit to doing something that I did not do.' 'I came there to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I'm not doing that. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing my job because they don't want me to, or they want to neglect the fact that we needed to be in there to see what was going on and that detention center, and so, absolutely, no, I was not going to do that,' McIver said during an appearance last month on CNN.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ may waive key review for elected officials' prosecutions
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering allowing prosecutors to bypass consultation with the Public Integrity Section as they pursue charges against elected officials. In doing so, the Trump administration would cut a key review from a team of prosecutors who specialize in bringing cases against public officials — a team also assembled to help ensure charges aren't brought for political reasons. The potential shift, however, comes at a time when Trump administration members have floated cases against several officials. A Justice Department official confirmed the move, saying it would be a shift from 'centralizing all authority' in the Public Integrity Section. 'Justice Manual provisions for several sections are under review. No final decisions have been made. The point of the review is to ensure that equal responsibility is held in the field,' they said. The Washington Post first reported the development. The potential change would leave U.S. attorneys across the country free to pursue cases against elected officials — and some Trump nominees have already threatened to do so. Ed Martin, who until last week served as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, ignited an inquiry into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for comments he made five years prior about Supreme Court justices. Martin similarly sent a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) after the lawmaker made comments about pushing back against Elon Musk. After key GOP opposition to his nomination to lead the office tanked his confirmation process, Martin has since been tapped to lead the department's Weaponization Working Group. And in New Jersey, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) was arrested and later charged with trespassing after a clash with immigration officials as lawmakers gathered to tour a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Trump officials have warned there could be charges for the three New Jersey Democrats present that day: Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver. The three lawmakers said they did nothing wrong as they showed up for a tour, blaming ICE officials for escalating the situation. The Public Integrity Section has brought a number of cases against officials, though several have not scored conviction. The team recently helped bring charges against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D). The case against Adams was later dismissed under the Trump administration, prompting a wave of resignations from the Public Integrity Section. Federal prosecutors have also lost high-profile cases against elected officials, like those into former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), with the conviction in the latter case overturned by the Supreme Court. Updated at 11:03 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
