Page 2 - Us Department Of Justice

US Supreme Court to weigh expanding Trump's power over independent agencies

The Supreme Court said on Monday it will consider expanding President Donald Trump's power to shape independent agencies by overturning a nearly century-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members. In a 6-3 decision, the high court also allowed the Republican president to carry out the firing of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, while the case plays out. It's the latest high-profile firing the court has allowed in recent months, signaling the conservative majority is poised to overturn or narrow a 1935 Supreme Court decision that found commissioners can only be removed for misconduct or neglect of duty. Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from the decision allowing Slaughter's firing. It comes after similar decisions affecting three other independent agencies. Congress, as everyone agrees, prohibited each of those presidential removals, Kagan wrote. Yet the majority, stay order by

Trump amps up retribution campaign, asks Bondi to pursue cases against foes

Eight months into his second term, President Donald Trump's long-standing pledge to take on those he perceives as his political enemies has prompted debates over free speech, media censorship and political prosecutions. From late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's suspension to Pentagon restrictions on reporters and an apparent public appeal to Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue legal cases against his adversaries, Trump has escalated moves to consolidate power in his second administration and root out those who have spoken out against him. In a post on social media this weekend addressed to Bondi, Trump said nothing is being done on investigations into some of his foes. We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility, he said. Noting that he was impeached and criminally charged, JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! Criticising investigations into Trump's dealings under Democratic President Joe Biden's Justice Department, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday that it is

BAPS welcomes US Justice Dept decision to close worker exploitation probe

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the United States has welcomed the Justice Department decision to close an investigation against it over alleged claims of exploitation of workers. In 2021, a group of Indian workers had filed a lawsuit in the US District Court of New Jersey alleging violations of human trafficking and wage law against the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). The workers alleged that they were confined and forced to work for about USD 1 on constructing the massive Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the United States welcomes the decision by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey to close their investigation of BAPS and the creation of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, BAPS North America said in a statement. A report in The New York Times had said that the complaint had named six men who had said they were among more than 200 Indian nationals w

House committee releases some Epstein files as survivors meet lawmakers

The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it has received from the Justice Department on the sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, responding to mounting pressure in Congress to force more disclosure in the case. Still, the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known or available. The folders contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein and Maxwell. They also included video files appearing to be body cam footage from police searches as well as recordings and summaries of law enforcement interviews with victims detailing the abuse they said they suffered. The committee's release of the files showed how lawmakers are eager to act as they return to Washington after a monthlong break. They quickly revived a political clash that has flummoxed House Republican leadership and roiled President Donald Trump's administration. House Republican Speaker Mike

'Never saw Trump act improperly', says Maxwell on Jeffrey Epstein ties

Ghislaine Maxwell told DOJ she never saw Donald Trump act inappropriately during his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, denying any connection to Epstein's crimes or misconduct

Judge denies DOJ request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case, joining two other judges who declined to release similar records from investigations into the late financier's sexual abuse of young women and girls. Judge Richard Berman, who presided over the 2019 case, ruled a week after another Manhattan federal judge turned down the government's request to release transcripts from the grand jury that indicted Epstein's longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. Barring reversal on appeal, Berman's decision appears to foreclose the possibility of federal courts releasing Epstein-related grand jury testimony. A federal judge in Florida declined to release grand jury documents from an investigation there in 2005 and 2007, though some material from a state case against Epstein was made public last year. The rulings were a resounding repudiation of the Justice Department's effort to unlock the records, a

20 states, DC sue DOJ over cuts to crime victim funds tied to immigration

A coalition of attorneys general from 20 states and Washington, DC, is asking a federal judge to stop the US Department of Justice from withholding federal funds earmarked for crime victims if states don't cooperate with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts. The lawsuit filed Monday in Rhode Island federal court seeks to block the Justice Department from enforcing conditions that would cut funding to a state or subgrantee if it refuses to honour civil immigration enforcement requests, denies US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers access to facilities or fails to provide advance notice of release dates of individuals possibly wanted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement because of their immigration status. The lawsuit asks that the conditions be thrown out, arguing that the administration and the agency are overstepping their constitutional and administrative authority. The lawsuit also argues that the requirements are not permitted or outlined in t

Trump admin moves to dismiss Harvard's lawsuit over ban on foreign students

The dispute involves Harvard's certification with the Student Exchange and Visitor Program - a requirement for any university to enroll international students

DOJ probing alleged 2016 'Russiagate' conspiracy against Donald Trump

Gabbard and her top aides released declassified documents they claim are evidence of an Obama administration conspiracy to subvert Trump's 2016 victory and his presidency

Epstein victims oppose Trump-era push to unseal grand jury documents

The request comes amid a controversy sparked by the Trump administration's decision last month not to release documents that could reveal some of Epstein's clients

US DOJ files misconduct complaint against judge handling deportation case

The Justice Department on Monday filed a misconduct complaint against the federal judge who has clashed with President Donald Trump 's administration over deportations to a notorious prison in El Salvador. Escalating the administration's conflict with U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that she directed the filing of the complaint against Boasberg for making improper public comments about President Trump and his administration. The complaint stems from remarks Boasberg allegedly made in March to Chief Justice John Roberts and other federal judges saying the administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press. The comments have undermined the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, the complaint says, adding that the administration has always complied with all court orders. Boasberg is among several judges who have ...

Ex-cop who mistook Black man's phone for gun gets 15 yrs to life for murder

A former Ohio police officer convicted of murder in the shooting of Andre Hill, a Black man who was holding a cellphone and keys when he was killed, was given a mandatory sentence Monday of 15 years to life. Former Columbus officer Adam Coy shot Hill four times in a garage in December 2020, as the country reckoned with a series of police killings of Black men, women and children. He told jurors that he feared for his life because he thought Hill was holding a silver revolver. Coy, who is being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma, told the court Monday he plans to appeal the verdict. I feel my actions were justified, Coy said. I reacted the same way I had in hundreds of training scenarios. I drew and fired my weapon to stop a threat, protect myself and my partner." Prosecutors said Hill followed police commands and was never a threat to Coy. In victim impact statements Monday, Hill's sisters and ex-wife described the 47-year-old as a gentle man who had never met a stranger. His grandchild

Trump struggles to shake off Epstein scandal once stoked by his own allies

Despite the sun bearing down on him and the sweat beading across his face, President Donald Trump still lingered with reporters lined up outside the White House on Friday. He was leaving on a trip to Scotland, where he would visit his golf courses, and he wanted to talk about how his administration just finished the best six months ever. But over and over, the journalists kept asking Trump about the Jeffrey Epstein case and whether he would pardon the disgraced financier's imprisoned accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. People should really focus on how well the country is doing, Trump insisted. He shut down another question by saying, I don't want to talk about that. It was another example of how the Epstein saga and his administration's disjointed approach to it has shadowed Trump when he's otherwise at the height of his influence. He's enacted a vast legislative agenda, reached trade deals with key countries and tightened his grip across the federal government. Yet he's struggled t

Trump says no comment on pardon for Epstein's ex Maxwell as probe continues

Trump's statement comes around the time when the US Justice Department has intensified efforts to further probe the matter

Prosecutor of Jan 6 Capitol riot cases sues Justice dept over his firing

Michael Gordon prosecuted some of the most notorious members of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. His latest case to make is proving that the Justice Department fired him because he was good at his job. Gordon sued the federal government Thursday, claiming his June 27 termination was politically motivated retribution for his work on prosecuting Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol. He and two other former Justice Department officials are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the department, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Executive Office of the President. Dozens of Justice Department attorneys have been fired, demoted or forced out or have quit since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Gordon and the other plaintiffs Patricia Hartman and Joseph Tirrell appear to be the first of them to file a lawsuit. Hartman was a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia. Tirrell led the department'

AG Bondi urged to testify over claim she told Trump he was in Epstein files

Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress following a newspaper's revelation that she told President Donald Trump that his name appeared in the files of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files, which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump's base. Trump's personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier, who killed himself in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to

US Justice Department seeks to unseal Epstein, Maxwell grand jury files

US Justice Department moves court to unseal Epstein, Maxwell grand jury records after Donald Trump demands transparency; Trump sues Wall Street Journal for $10 billion over 'defamatory' Epstein report

US justice dept asks court to unseal grand jury records in Epstein case

Justice Department lawyers made the requests Friday to two judges in Manhattan, where prosecutors handled separate criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell

Trump authorises AG Pam Bondi to release Epstein grand jury records

Donald Trump's move follows growing pressure from supporters demanding transparency in the Jeffrey Epstein case and calls to release grand jury testimony

Justice dept fires Maurene Comey, prosecutor on Diddy, Epstein cases

The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. There was no specific reason given for her firing from the US attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Her termination comes shortly after she prosecuted Combs, who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution-related offences. The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of an investigation into James Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear. He was abruptly fired by Trump during his first administration in 2017.