Trump ally Jeanine Pirro confirmed as top federal prosecutor for Washington DC
Donald Trump
ally who boosted lies that he lost the 2020 presidential race because of electoral fraudsters – as the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital.
Ms Pirro – a former New York state district attorney and county judge who joined Fox News in 2011 – was confirmed on Saturday in a 50-45 vote along party lines.
In a statement issued by Ms Pirro after the vote, the Republican said she was 'blessed' to have been confirmed as the US attorney for Washington DC. 'Get ready for a real crime fighter,' said Ms Pirro's statement, which called the US attorney's office she had been confirmed to lead the largest in the country.
Before her media career, Ms Pirro spent more than a decade as a Republican district attorney in Westchester county, New York, and also served as a county judge.
She hosted her own Fox show Justice with Judge Jeanine. More recently, she became a co-host on the Fox show The Five.
Ms Pirro used her time at Fox News in part to publicly support the baseless claims that Mr Trump lost his first presidency to
Joe Biden
in 2020 because of voter fraud. In 2021 she was among several Fox News hosts named in the defamation lawsuit against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems, which accused the network of knowingly airing false claims about the company's voting machines after the previous year's election.
Fox ultimately settled the lawsuit for $787.5 million and has acknowledged that the fraud claims were false.
Ms Pirro has been serving as the interim US attorney since May, when Mr Trump nominated her to the post months into his second presidency. She was nominated after Mr Trump withdrew the nomination of conservative activist Ed Martin, his first choice for the role. A key Republican senator, North Carolina's Thom Tillis, had said he would not support Mr Martin's nomination.
In announcing Ms Pirro's nomination in May, Mr Trump praised her record, and said she was a 'powerful crusader for victims of crime' and someone who 'excelled in all ways'.
'Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position,' the president said.
The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, on Saturday published a statement exalting Ms Pirro as 'a warrior for law and order'.
At the end of his first presidency, Mr Trump pardoned Ms Pirro's former husband, Albert Pirro Jr, after he had been convicted in 2000 on federal charges of fraud and tax evasion.
Ms Pirro is one of a number of Trump loyalists with ties to Fox who have joined the president's administration. Other prominent names include her fellow ex-Fox News host Pete Hegseth, the embattled defence secretary, and the former Fox Business personality Sean Duffy, the embattled transportation secretary.
In June US senator Adam Schiff said Ms Pirro's 'blind obedience to Donald Trump is nearly unrivalled among his ardent supporters'.
'For an important prosecutorial position like this one, the country has a right to demand a serious and principled public servant,' Mr Schiff said. 'Jeanine Pirro is not it.'
Despite Ms Pirro's confirmation, the US Senate left Washington DC on Saturday night for its month-long August recess without a deal to advance dozens of Trump nominees despite days of contentious, bipartisan negotiations.
An irate Mr Trump went on social media and told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to 'GO TO HELL!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Swiss president travels to US to avert steep tariffs
Switzerland's president is in Washington as part of a last-minute push to stop steep new tariffs, but with no appointment with US President Donald Trump has been scheduled. Switzerland faces a 39% duty, one of the highest among the dozens of economies that will be hit by new tariffs expected to come into force from Thursday. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin are visiting Washington "to facilitate meetings with the US authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland", the government said in a statement. "The aim is to present a more attractive offer to the United States in a bid to lower the level of reciprocal tariffs for Swiss exports, taking US concerns into account," it added. But a White House official told AFP there was "no meeting with the president scheduled at this time". Mr Trump had originally threatened in April to put a 31% tariff on Switzerland. But he surprised the export-driven country last week when he decided to hike the rate to 39% despite numerous discussions between Swiss and US officials aimed at reaching a deal. The Swiss government noted the country will be hit by much higher tariffs than what other wealthy economies, such as Britain, Japan or the European Union, are facing. The Swiss government "reaffirmed that it was keen to pursue talks with the United States on the tariff situation" and the president and economy minister are visiting Washington "for this reason", the statement said. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, however, told CBS television on Sunday that the tariffs on global trading partners, which are coming into force this week, "are pretty much set". Mr Trump signaled that a separate initially "small" tariff on imports of pharmaceuticals from around the world - a key sector for Switzerland - could come "within the next week". But the sector-specific tariff could rise to 150% in a year and eventually be as high as 250%, he said, adding the delay was to allow companies to shift production to the United States. Pharmaceuticals represented 60% of Swiss goods exports to the United States last year. A Swiss Government official said Ms Keller-Sutter and Mr Parmelin were accompanied by a small delegation, including the heads of the economy and international finance departments. But the official declined to give details about the potential meetings. The government said it will "issue a statement as soon as there are any relevant developments for the public". The United States is a key trading partner for Switzerland, taking 18.6% of its total exports last year, according to Swiss customs data. Ms Keller-Sutter has said Mr Trump believes that Switzerland "steals" from the United States by enjoying a trade surplus of 40 billion Swiss francs (€43bn). Swiss companies have urged the government to negotiate a lower tariff. "I am convinced that Donald Trump wants to make a deal and show it to his US voters," Nik Hayek, the head of watch firm Swatch, told Le Temps newspaper in an interview published late Monday.
The Journal
7 hours ago
- The Journal
Trump's planning 250% tariffs on pharmaceuticals - and he hasn't forgotten about Ireland
LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago TARIFFS ON IMPORTED pharmaceuticals into the US could go as high as 250%, President Donald Trump has said. Pharmaceuticals and semiconductors will be the next industries targeted in the latest round of Trump's tariffs, he outlined today, despite the EU claiming that it had agreed a 15% tariff cap on medicines. Speaking to CNBC this morning, Trump referenced Ireland's strength in the pharmaceuticals sector, and indicated that new tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors will be announced soon – potentially in the coming week. He said that other countries 'make a fortune with pharmaceuticals', 'They make our pharmaceuticals in China and Ireland,' he said, adding that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250%. 'We'll be putting [an] initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it's going to go to 150%, and then it's going to go to 250% because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,' he said. Advertisement CNBC Television / YouTube '15% cap is all-inclusive' Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed a deal two weeks ago to a baseline US tariff of 15% on imports from the EU. It left out some sectors, though, including pharmaceuticals. Today, the European Commission pushed back on criticism from members of the German government that von der Leyen had not secured a good deal for businesses and citizens in the EU. Similar criticism was levelled in a recent episode of The Journal 's The Explainer p odcast, when economist and TU Dublin lecturer Emma Howard said Trump successfully 'anchored' his negotiations with the EU, which saw Europe talk him down from a proposed and unrealistic 30% tariff rate. Trade spokesperson Olof Gill stood over the agreement between the Commission President and Trump, claiming the deal secured a future without further tariffs and assured that the 15% tariff ceiling on goods 'is all-inclusive'. He said that the deal allows the EU and the US to have a 'stable platform' to move towards a zero-for-zero tariff scenario, secure future trade deals with Washington and provide certainty to businesses. His comments came after he confirmed that the European Commission today waived Europe's proposed counter tariffs against the US – despite previous claims from the EU's executive that it would move forward with reciprocal measures should tariffs be imposed. Future of tariffs on pharma Uncertainty remains, however, for the pharma industry – a lucrative sector for Ireland. In April, the Trump White House initiated new investigations into the imports of pharmaceuticals under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. Read Next Related Reads Q&A: What we know (and don't know) about the EU-US tariff deal 'Resorted to submission': Last-minute US tariff deal earns stinging criticism from EU leaders Are pharmaceuticals part of the EU-US tariff deal? And what's Section 232 got to do with it? The purpose of a Section 232 investigation is to determine, in short, the effect of imports on US national security and whether certain imports 'threaten to impair' national security. Its outcome will determine if placing tariffs on goods such as medicines, which the US largely imports, threatens the security of the American job market, economic growth or foreign direct investment, monetary or otherwise. Trump's plans have incited concerns overseas, as governments that expect to be hit the most try to appease him to avoid high tariff leaders are due to travel to Washington DC today for talks to try to swerve a 39% tariff due Thursday. Similarly to Ireland, pharmaceuticals represent a large majority (60%) of Swiss goods that are exported to the US. Additional reporting by AFP and Muiris Ó Cearbhaill Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Bill Clinton and ex-federal officials subpoenaed by Republicans over Epstein sex-trafficking operation
US House Republicans have subpoenaed the justice department, former president Bill Clinton and nearly a dozen other former federal officials for information about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein 's sex-trafficking operation, setting up a potential confrontation with the Trump administration. US president Donald Trump and his top aides have faced a firestorm over their handling of the Epstein case, with supporters and critics alike demanding they release documents, financial records and information about Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and who may have committed crimes against underage girls. Even as the House subpoena swept in Mr Clinton and his wife Hillary , Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee, the move threatens to douse fresh accelerant on an issue that has bedevilled Mr Trump and Republicans over the last several weeks. [ Donald Trump could be swallowed up by an Epstein conspiracy he helped create Opens in new window ] Democrats made life so politically painful for House Republicans over Epstein that speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early for its August break to avoid votes on publicly releasing the Epstein files. Democrats had repeatedly offered amendments to legislation to compel the administration to make the files public and Republican leaders halted work on significant legislation. READ MORE Mr Trump has acknowledged he had a personal relationship with Epstein long ago and attended social gatherings with him, but has denied knowing anything about his sex-trafficking operation. The Wall Street Journal stoked new controversy over Mr Trump's relationship with Epstein with a story last month that said the president once sent a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. Mr Trump denied the story and sued the news organisation. House oversight committee chairman James Comer , a Trump ally, demanded in a letter Tuesday to attorney general Pam Bondi the 'full, complete, unredacted Epstein files', including information about his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in sexually abusing underage women. He also issued subpoenas for depositions from an array of former high-ranking FBI and justice department officials, including former FBI director James Comey. The panel gave the justice department until August 19th to turn over records related to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 as he faced sex-trafficking charges. A justice department spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for the Clintons. Bill Clinton, who has acknowledged travelling on Epstein's private plane, has previously denied knowing anything about the financier's sex trafficking. Mr Comer's panel already subpoenaed Maxwell for an August 11th deposition. But her lawyers have demanded criminal immunity in return for her testimony and Mr Comer hasn't agreed to the request. The justice department has asked federal courts to unseal grand jury materials related to Epstein's case, but hasn't voluntarily released information in its possession. The department has indicated in court filings that the grand jury material is limited and probably will not shed new light on what is already publicly known about Epstein's operation. In comparison, the department has a huge collection of documents and files obtained during the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, including interviews with witnesses and victims. The subpoena to the department seeks all documents and communications related to seven different categories, including the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell and information about Epstein's death. – Bloomberg
