Attorney General

Virginia AG admits to wearing blackface in college

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring apologized Wednesday for dressing up in a wig and brown makeup to look like a rapper at a party in 1980—now the third scandal to rock the state’s leadership in less than a week.

Feb 6, 2019 3:52 PM CST

State AG refuses to release records of police misconduct

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has come under fire for refusing to release copies of misconduct complaints made against sworn law enforcement members of the California Department of Justice since 2014, along with files involving sustained cases of misconduct. A new state law that went into effect Jan. 1 requires…

Feb 6, 2019 9:15 AM CST

New Michigan AG withdraws state from suits challenging Obama-era EPA regulations

Michigan’s new Democratic attorney general, Dana Nessel, has announced she is withdrawing Michigan from lawsuits challenging federal environmental regulations to curb greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. Nessel announced Tuesday she was withdrawing from four suits challenging Environmental Protection Agency regulations enacted during the administration of President Barack Obama, report Bridge…

Jan 23, 2019 1:04 PM CST

Mueller’s office disputes report that claimed it had evidence Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress

Updated: In a rare public statement, the office of Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller said Friday evening that a report implicating President Donald Trump in obstruction of justice is not accurate.

Jan 18, 2019 7:47 PM CST

Craft brewery’s suit says government shutdown is harming its First Amendment labeling rights

Craft brewery Atlas Brew Works in Washington, D.C., claims in a lawsuit that the partial government shutdown is violating its First Amendment rights to speak to consumers on beer labels for kegs of its seasonal brew the Precious One. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau can’t review Atlas’…

Jan 17, 2019 11:41 AM CST

Attorney general nominee Barr says he would refuse order to fire Mueller absent good cause

Updated: Attorney general nominee William Barr said during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that he would refuse an order by President Donald Trump to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without good cause. But in the wake of his testimony, Democratic lawmakers are making it clear that they also want a commitment to make Mueller's final report public.

Jan 15, 2019 5:05 PM CST

Attorney general nominee Barr says he will let special counsel Mueller finish probe

Attorney General nominee William Barr said in written testimony released on Monday that he won’t allow partisan politics or other considerations to interfere with the work of special counsel Robert Mueller, a friend as well as a professional acquaintance. “On my watch,” Barr said, “Bob will be allowed to complete…

Jan 14, 2019 2:51 PM CST

Reports: Rosenstein plans to leave Justice Department if Barr is confirmed as attorney general

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has indicated he plans to leave his post if William Barr is confirmed as attorney general, according to multiple reports based on anonymous sources.

Jan 9, 2019 9:03 AM CST

What do experts predict will be the immigration law battles in 2019?

Yet more litigation, congressional action, a worsening immigration court backlog and new, daring programs by the Trump administration are all highly likely in 2019, immigration court watchers say.

Jan 3, 2019 3:40 PM CST

Scale of clergy abuse of minors much greater than Catholic Church publicly disclosed, Illinois AG says

More than 500 Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing minors in Illinois have never been publicly identified, according to a preliminary report released on Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The report said the church has identified 185 clergy who faced credible allegations of sexual abuse in the state,…

Dec 20, 2018 4:03 PM CST

AG pick William Barr criticized part of Mueller probe in unsolicited memo to Justice Department

Updated: William Barr wrote an unsolicited memo to the Department of Justice earlier this year that said special counsel Robert Mueller was “proposing an unprecedented expansion of obstruction laws” in his apparent investigation of President Donald Trump. Barr, who is Trump’s pick for attorney general, previously was in the position…

Dec 20, 2018 12:55 PM CST

New suit filed challenging Trump’s asylum requirements and Whitaker’s appointment

Two immigrants who were denied asylum because they entered the United States outside official checkpoints are among the plaintiffs in a new suit that was filed this week in Washington, D.C. The suit is a second challenge to the Trump administration’s decision to deny asylum to immigrants who cross the…

Dec 7, 2018 11:18 AM CST

Who is William Barr, Trump’s pick to replace Sessions as AG?

Barr, who served as attorney general for two years under President George H.W. Bush, has had an illustrious career. But what can his past work and statements tell us about how he’d approach the job if confirmed?

Dec 7, 2018 9:10 AM CST

Another court rules against Trump administration’s grant restrictions to sanctuary jurisdictions

A federal judge in New York City has ruled that the Trump administration did not have the authority to withhold public safety grants from sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate in immigration enforcement.

Dec 3, 2018 1:34 PM CST

Acting AG Whitaker backed patent marketing company even as he fielded angry complaints, papers show

Corrected: Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker had backed a patent marketing company as a paid advisory board member even as he fielded complaints from angry consumers who complained they had been scammed. Whitaker began hearing complaints months after joining the board of World Patent Marketing in October 2014, according to…

Nov 30, 2018 2:57 PM CST