Show cause hearing is set to begin in Raleigh at top of the hour. A federal magistrate judge wants to know why the AUSA shouldn’t be sanctioned and why the office doesn’t share responsibility for false quotes. I’d expect AI generated legal filings to come up.
JUST IN: Voting machine co. Smartmatic asks judge to dismiss its foreign bribery indictment due to 'vindictive & selective' prosecution stemming from animus over 2020 election - the latest Trump foe to seek review of what motivated a DOJ charging decision. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Correct
Correct
Another update: Retired Air Force colonel & staff judge advocate Derence Fivehouse emails to say he hopes to learn whether the fabricated "language originated with the signing attorney or was incorporated from another source. That question deserves a clear answer.”
Story is updated to note that pro se plaintiff Derence Fivehouse appears to be a retired colonel and former Air Force attorney.
*Pro se plaintiff suing the government, not defendant
NEWS: A Justice Dept. line attorney in North Carolina fabricated quotes in court filing, causing judge to order hearing to consider sanctions and holding entire US attorney’s office jointly responsible.
Pro se defendant flagged the errors.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
What's interesting about Bondi DOJ decrying 'weaponization' of state bar complaints is that a GOP congressman - frustrated w/ Clinton DOJ prosecuting him for bribery in '90s - who came up with the idea for changing law to subject DOJ prosecutors to bar investigations. Look up McDade amendment.
DOJ is attempting "to identify those who complain about DOJ attorneys and potentially target them,” says whistleblower lawyer Kevin Owen. “This is going to have a chilling effect on appropriate complaints about DOJ attorney misconduct.”
Not sure how this would work - “should the relevant bar disciplinary authorities refuse the Attorney General’s request, the Department shall take appropriate action to prevent the bar disciplinary authorities from interfering"
Here's the rule, which casts the effort as "Ending the Weaponization of the Bar Complaint and Investigation Process" aboutblaw.com/bk49
JUST IN: Trump DOJ proposes surprise rule aiming to let Attorney General Pam Bondi suspend state bar investigations into alleged misconduct by DOJ lawyers. Very unclear if there'd be legal authority for the AG to intervene in this manner.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
There's an intriguing name being floated to serve as the court-appointed US attorney who'd then sue Trump for his presumed firing. Hint: he already has experience being fired as Seattle US attorney by a Republican administration.
Trump said JD Vance is leading 'war on fraud' in SOTU, but it was a lesser-known lawyer, Colin McDonald, who faced Senate grilling today on his nomination to head new DOJ fraud division. Like Trump, he offered scant details.
'I do not have cases in mind.' news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: DOJ's war with judges on US attorney picks heads to Seattle, where an all Biden-selected trial court will soon appoint a chief prosecutor. Lawyers are strategizing on tapping someone who'd be ready to litigate a surefire Trump termination. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI ⬇️
Just In: Senate Democratic leaders overseeing DOJ ask Bondi for details on new fraud division. They say DOJ has stonewalled their requests for a briefing & they need answers before considering Trump fraud chief nom Colin McDonald news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Check out my profile of Aakash Singh, the 33-year-old DOJ bro who relishes clamping down on top prosecutors' autonomy, warning them Trump is their 'chief client' while steering many of this administration's most controversial cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Lately, Singh’s influence and autonomy are increasing, as he’s filled the void left by the departure of his direct boss, former senior official Emil Bove, said multiple people close to the matter. Since Bove’s exit for the federal bench, Singh’s tried emulating his heavy-handed tactics.
Check out my profile of Aakash Singh, the 33-year-old DOJ bro who relishes clamping down on top prosecutors' autonomy, warning them Trump is their 'chief client' while steering many of this administration's most controversial cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Updated with Jeanine Pirro's statement praising prosecutor who tried to indict 6 Dems: "Any attempt to undercut his expertise is nothing more than an effort to detract from his excellent prosecutorial record to which few can compare. And by the way, everybody has a hobby."
Apologies - we are correcting the story to note that Carlton Davis, the other Pirro hire who presented this case to grand jury yesterday, was briefly an EDVA line prosecutor in 2018.
He confirmed to me he's the same Steve Vandervelden who updated his studio's Instagram account earlier this morning. Here's his site stevenv873.smugmug.com/Site-Files/A...
NEWS: DOJ lawyer who tried & failed to indict 6 Dem lawmakers over military video runs an active dance photography studio & worked for US Atty Pirro decades ago. Grand jury rejected indictment from lawyers w/ no prior DOJ backgrounds. Experts were walled off. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ spox confirms judicial impeachment effort in statement: “The Dept. of Justice solicited the most egregious examples of this obstruction from our US Attorney Offices to assist Congress with efforts to rein in judges violating their oaths"
Scoop: A Trump DOJ official recently asked all US attorneys for examples of perceived judicial activism -- i.e., adverse rulings -- to inform potential impeachment referrals to Congress. This would escalate DOJ's clash with the bench. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Well before DOJ workload crisis defending detained migrant petitions spilled into public view in MN, 6 US attorneys warned judiciary of the resource-draining flood. Predictably, it has since exploded.
Story w/ @ccastronuovo.bsky.social & Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Exclusive: DOJ is requiring all 93 US attorneys to designate prosecutors for "emergency jump teams" supporting surge districts dealing with assaults & obstruction of federal officers, per internal memo. Comes as more Minn. prosecutors resign. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Update - judge orders DOJ to explain how FIFA corruption dismissal would serve interests of justice and impact numerous other convictions and hundreds of millions in penalties news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
