Attorney General

Deputy attorney general who will replace AG Barr has no prosecution experience

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen will be taking over leadership of the Department of Justice on an acting basis when U.S. Attorney General William Barr leaves the office Dec. 23.

Dec 15, 2020 9:54 AM CST

Biden’s AG pick will be scrutinized amid probe of his son; will special counsel be appointed?

President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of a new U.S. attorney general may be complicated by revelations that Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is under investigation.

Dec 11, 2020 10:50 AM CST

Texas AG asks SCOTUS to overturn election results in 4 states via its original petition

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to accept a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the election results in the battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Dec 8, 2020 11:35 AM CST

AG Barr appoints special counsel to investigate illegality in probe of Russian election influence

U.S. Attorney General William Barr disclosed Tuesday that he has appointed Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel to investigate any illegality by officials in the federal probe into Russian election influence in 2016.

Dec 2, 2020 11:03 AM CST

DOJ probed possible bid to pay for presidential pardon, unsealed opinion says

The Department of Justice has investigated whether an individual offered a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to a redacted opinion released Tuesday and unsealed by Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.

Dec 2, 2020 9:44 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Former Trump adviser sues over FBI surveillance; ex-lawyer sentenced in Ponzi scheme

Former Trump campaign adviser sues over FBI surveillance Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page has filed a $75 million lawsuit against the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged “unlawful spying” on him during the investigation of Russian influence. Page alleges that the surveillance was authorized as a…

Dec 1, 2020 4:48 PM CST

Trump lawyer says official who defended voting machines should be shot; AG Barr also sees no manipulation

U.S. Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the Department of Justice has uncovered no evidence of widespread election fraud and no evidence of bad voting machines.

Dec 1, 2020 3:25 PM CST

DOJ rule change would allow some executions by firing squad and electrocution

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday published a final rule change that would allow federal executions to be carried out in any manner allowed in the state where the death sentence was imposed.

Nov 30, 2020 2:23 PM CST

DOJ makes no ‘overt moves’ to investigate claims of widespread voter fraud conspiracy

Even though U.S. Attorney General William Barr has loosened restrictions on investigating voter fraud, there has been no public announcement of any investigation, according to a story by the Washington Post.

Nov 24, 2020 12:01 PM CST

Federal judge criticizes DOJ’s fee agreement with BigLaw firm, says the amount is unreasonable

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has questioned the U.S. Department of Justice’s agreement to pay more than $212,000 in fees and expenses to Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer to settle a case over the exclusion of New York residents from trusted traveler programs.

Nov 23, 2020 3:50 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Peremptory challenge curbs allowed; more federal courts halt jury trials

Juror shortages lead to curbs on peremptory challenges Judges in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, are allowed to ban or reduce peremptory challenges in civil cases to avoid running out of potential jurors. Judges asked and received permission from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to make the change because of a drop in…

Nov 20, 2020 4:06 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Bankruptcy judge OKs opioid deal; judge bans immigration arrests at some courts

Bankruptcy judge approves opioid deal U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in New York has approved a settlement between the government and Purdue Pharma, a maker of OxyContin, to resolve federal criminal and civil investigations. The company is accused of defrauding federal health agencies and violating anti-kickback laws. The deal calls…

Nov 18, 2020 4:17 PM CST

Kavanaugh, Roberts appear ready to join with liberal justices to uphold most of Affordable Care Act

A U.S. Supreme Court majority appeared ready to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act in oral arguments Tuesday.

Nov 10, 2020 3:09 PM CST

DOJ official quits post after AG Barr authorizes voter fraud probes before results are certified

U.S. Attorney General William Barr told federal prosecutors Monday that they may investigate specific allegations of voter fraud before certification of election results, a reversal of long-standing policies intended to prevent knowledge of investigations from influencing voters or election officials.

Nov 10, 2020 9:54 AM CST

Protesters in front of AG Barr’s home want him to lock up Biden

U.S. Attorney General William Barr chatted with protesters Saturday who gathered outside his home to urge that former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, be locked up.

Nov 2, 2020 9:34 AM CST