Attorney General

Afternoon Briefs: Holder says Barr is unfit to be AG; law firm promotes nonbinary gender inclusiveness

Holder op-ed says AG Barr is unfit to be attorney general U.S. Attorney General William Barr has proved he is unfit to lead the Department of Justice, according to an op-ed by one of his predecessors in the Obama administration, Eric Holder Jr. Barr has been “running political interference for…

Dec 12, 2019 4:19 PM CST

Former FBI lawyer sues over disclosure of her texts criticizing Trump and discussing personal matters

Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page has sued the bureau and the U.S. Department of Justice for releasing her text messages with former FBI agent Peter Strzok, with whom she was having an affair.

Dec 11, 2019 12:04 PM CST

Probe of Russian influence wasn’t motivated by bias, IG report says, but it found ‘significant inaccuracies’

There was no evidence of political bias or improper motive in the FBI’s decision to open an investigation into possible coordination between members of President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government, according to a report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice’s inspector general.

Dec 9, 2019 2:31 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: AG Barr said to disagree with IG; 350-plus lawyers who had abortions file SCOTUS brief

AG Barr reportedly disagrees with DOJ watchdog on justification for Russia probe U.S. Attorney General William Barr reportedly disagrees with a key conclusion in an upcoming report by the Department of Justice’s inspector general on the origins of the Russia investigation. Sources told the Washington Post that Barr thinks the…

Dec 3, 2019 4:40 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Subpoenas reportedly seek Giuliani-related information; 3 exonerated after 36 years in prison

Subpoenas reportedly seek information related to Giuliani and his consulting firm Federal prosecutors who are investigating two associates of lawyer Rudy Giuliani have issued subpoenas seeking documents relating to the lawyer and his consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, according to anonymous sources who spoke with multiple publications. The investigation also reportedly…

Nov 26, 2019 4:45 PM CST

Judge rules former White House counsel must testify in House probe, says ‘presidents are not kings’

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Monday that former White House counsel Don McGahn must appear before the House Judiciary Committee to testify in an investigation into how Russia influenced the 2016 presidential election and whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct justice.

Nov 26, 2019 10:47 AM CST

Judge blocks 4 federal executions, rules DOJ protocol doesn’t follow law

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has halted the Department of Justice’s plans to resume executions after a 16-year hiatus. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday. She ruled on behalf of four federal death-row inmates.

Nov 21, 2019 12:15 PM CST

AG Barr accuses Democrats of war on Trump that’s intended to ‘incapacitate the executive branch’

The legislative and judicial branches of government are encroaching on President Donald Trump’s constitutional authority, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Friday evening in a Federalist Society speech that took aim at Trump’s “resistance” opponents.

Nov 18, 2019 11:13 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: AG Barr reportedly declined Trump request on Ukraine statement; Trump ordered to pay $2M

Barr reportedly refused to announce that Trump broke no laws in Ukraine matter Officials reportedly told Attorney General William Barr that President Donald Trump wanted him to hold a press conference to declare that the president broke no laws when he asked the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President…

Nov 7, 2019 4:48 PM CST

DC Circuit stays judge’s order requiring release of Mueller grand jury documents to Congress

A federal appeals court has stayed a judge’s order requiring the release of grand jury materials from the special counsel probe to Congress.

Oct 30, 2019 11:27 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Indiana AG defends his law license; Secret Service asked rapper Eminem about lyrics

Indiana AG testifies his touching at party wasn’t ‘lewd’ Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill testified last week in an ethics hearing that he is “a fun guy” who likely made physical contact with women at a bar in March 2018. But none of the touching was done “in a lewd…

Oct 28, 2019 4:28 PM CDT

Scores of inspectors general criticize DOJ response to Ukraine whistleblower

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz is among about 70 federal inspectors general who are criticizing the department’s conclusion that the Ukraine whistleblower complaint did not need to be turned over to Congress.

Oct 28, 2019 1:17 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: DOJ opens criminal review of Russia probe; DeVos held in contempt

Department of Justice reportedly opens criminal inquiry into origins of Russia probe The U.S. Department of Justice’s review of the origins of the Russia probe has shifted from an administrative review to a criminal inquiry, according to two anonymous sources who spoke with the New York Times. According to the…

Oct 25, 2019 2:19 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: NYC bar calls for Barr’s Ukraine recusal; law school renamed after donor

U.S. attorney general should recuse himself in Ukraine matters, bar group says The New York City Bar Association is calling on Attorney General William Barr to recuse himself from any Justice Department review of Ukraine-related issues in which he was allegedly involved. If Barr refuses to recuse in the future,…

Oct 24, 2019 4:44 PM CDT

Parents of Matthew Shepard use DOJ speech to criticize Barr’s stance on gender identity protections

The parents of Matthew Shepard, a college student murdered because he was gay, criticized the Justice Department’s stance on LGBTQ workplace protections on Wednesday in a speech delivered at an event commemorating a hate-crime law named after their son.

Oct 17, 2019 10:39 AM CDT