US declares administrative law judge removal rules unconstitutional
WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has determined that multiple layers of removal restrictions shielding administrative law judges are unconstitutional and will no longer defend them in court, top officials said on Thursday.
Chad Mizelle, the department's chief of staff, called the administrative law judges, who preside over administrative disputes in the federal government, "unelected and constitutionally unaccountable."
In a letter to U.S. Senator Charles Grassley that Mizelle posted on X, Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote that the Justice Department would no longer defend removal restrictions for administrative law judges against challenges in courts.
The Justice Department's policy shift comes as Republican President Donald Trump and his ally, the billionaire Elon Musk, seek to reduce the power of several federal regulatory agencies.
It also comes after several decisions curbing the authority of U.S. agencies by the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative justices have indicated skepticism toward expansive regulatory power.
Last year, the Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's use of in-house administrative law judges to decide enforcement actions protecting investors from securities fraud. Conservative and business groups have said the SEC has an unfair advantage litigating cases before its own judges.
Administrative judges operate separately from judges who preside over federal courts, who are known as Article III judges for the section of the U.S. Constitution that established the judiciary. Administrative judges adjudicate matters within agencies that come under the executive branch, which include the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
A spokesperson for the Association of Administrative Law Judges, a union that represents 910 administrative law judges who adjudicate cases at the Social Security Administration, said the group was waiting for more information.
Last week, the union asked a judge to block Musk and the Trump cost-cutting effort known as the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing their personal and employment records. The union said the disclosure of workers' personal information poses a security risk.
Justice Department lawyers representing Musk and Doge said in court filing on Wednesday that DOGE and the other defendants had not made any public disclosure of sensitive personal records.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
19 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Minnesota ‘assassin' found with ‘hit-list' of 70 names & addresses including Squad member Ilhan Omar and Jeff Bezos' ex'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE man accused of fatally shooting a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband allegedly had a hit list with 70 names after being caught by police. Vance Boelter, 57, is accused of shooting and killing Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home on Saturday, along with injuring Senator John Hoffman and his wife in another shooting. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Vance Boelter, 57, has been charged with killing a Minnesota representative and her husband in a shooting Credit: AFP 9 Investigators found several weapons and a manifesto in a fake police vehicle that Boelter allegedly used in the shootings that also injured a senator and his wife Credit: Reuters 9 Listed in the manifesto as a possible target was MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos Credit: Getty 9 US Representative Ilhan Omar, a member of 'the squad,' was also listed Credit: Alamy 9 Melissa Hortman with her husband, Mark, were killed in the shooting Credit: Unpixs During the search for the suspect, investigators found a fake police vehicle that Boelter allegedly used to pose as a police officer to carry out the shootings. Inside the car, police found a cache of weapons, including at least three AK-47 assault rifles and a manifesto with the names and addresses of other public officials. There were about 70 names in the manifesto, some of which were abortion rights advocates, said law enforcement officials. Boelter was arrested near his home in Green Isle on Sunday night after a brief manhunt. He has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder, according to Hennepin County court records. LIST OF DEATH Named on the list were Senator Amy Klobuchar and "squad member" Rep. Ilhan Omar, reported The Minnesota Star Tribune. Others include Congresswoman Kelly Morrison, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. Some doctors who worked for Planned Parenthood were on the list, as well as several abortion clinics, including one that is scheduled to open in Omaha, Nebraska. Former congressman Dean Phillips claimed in an X post that he was on the list as well, writing, "I extend heartfelt gratitude to Minnesota's law enforcement professionals," after Boelter's arrest. "Now, we must take steps to prevent political violence before it's too late." Vance Boelter's car found as cops continue to hunt for 'fake cop' suspect who 'shot dead Melissa Hortman' in Minnesota The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans confirmed that investigators found the manifesto in a press briefing, saying the documents "gives some indications" on a possible motive. "This is not a document that would be like a traditional manifesto that's a treatise on all kinds of ideology and writings, Evans said. He called it a notebook "with a lot of lawmakers and others ... as opposed to a succinct document." "I don't want the public to have the impression that there's this long manifesto that's providing all of this information and details and then associated with names," he added. "It's much more about names." NIGHT OF TERROR Boelter was named as a suspect on June 14 after shootings were reported at the homes of Hortman and Hoffman. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were pronounced dead at their Brooklyn Park home. Timeline of Minnesota's shooting Vance Boelter has been arrested for the targeted shootings of Minnesota lawmakers Rep. Melissa Hortman and Sen. John Hoffman. Below is a timeline of events: Saturday, June 14 2 am - Cops receive a phone call about a shooting at Hoffman's house. Cops call nearby officers to proactively check Hortman's home because it's close by in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. 3:35 am - Police arrive at Hortman's home and find a car that looks like a cop car in her driveway. Officers see the suspect, dressed as a cop and wearing a latex mask, leaving the Hortman's house. Cops exchange gunfire with the suspect, who runs back into the home and leaves out the back door on foot. 7:11 am — A shelter-in-place warning is issued for three miles around Brooklyn Park. 7:35 am - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz posts on social media that he's been briefed on the shootings. 9:30 am - Walz and cops give the first news conference on the shootings and confirm the Hormans' deaths. Minnesotans are asked not to attend rallies taking place across the state. 3 pm - Law enforcement officers identify Boelter as the suspect and release multiple pictures of him wearing a mask and dressed like a cop. 3:20 pm - Police lift shelter-in-place in Brooklyn Park. 4:45 pm - The FBI offers a $50,000 reward for information leading to Boelter's arrest and conviction. Sunday, June 15 10:50 am - Boelter's car is found near Minnesota Highway 25 and 301st Avenue in Sibley County. Residents in the area are asked to lock their doors and stay in place. 9:30 pm - Boelter is arrested in the woods near his home in Green Isle, Sibley County. The couple's dog, Gilbert, was severely injured in the attack and had to be euthanized. "Her children had to put him down after learning their parents had been murdered," former Minnesota House member Erin Koegel said on X of Hortman's children. "Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Hoffman and his wife Yvette had surgery after suffering multiple gunshot wounds at their residence in Champlin, about nine miles away from the Hortmans. Officials said they are "cautiously optimistic" that the pair will survive what Governor Tim Walz called an "unspeakable tragedy" and a "politically motivated assassination." The Hoffmans' nephew revealed that the couple had been shot 11 times during the horror attack. He shared in a Facebook post how his aunt Yvette had thrown herself on top of her daughter to protect her. Boelter is scheduled to appear in court on Monday for the charges against him and a federal warrant for "unlawful flight to avoid prosecution." His other charges will soon be upgraded as the state "intends to pursue first-degree murder charges against Boelter," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty at a news conference. The Department of Justice is also deciding to throw federal charges against Boelter, which, if convicted, could result in the death penalty. 9 Investigators say Boelter wore this realistic mask while posing as a police officer during the shootings Credit: Reuters 9 Boelter was arrested on Sunday night and has been charged with the murders Credit: EPA 9 Sen. Amy Klobuchar was also listed in the manifesto, along with several abortion doctors Credit: AP
Powys County Times
43 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Alleged gunman went to homes of two other intended targets, police say
The man accused of killing a politician and wounding another went to the homes of two other lawmakers to carry out more carnage on the night of the shootings, a federal prosecutor said. But one of the other politicians was not home and the suspect left the other house after police arrived, acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson said at a press conference on Monday. The suspect, Vance Boelter, surrendered to police on Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt that began early on Saturday near Minneapolis. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about nine miles away. The 57-year-old Boelter was charged with federal murder and stalking offenses. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder. 'Boelter planned his attack carefully' by researching his intended victims and their families and conducting surveillance of their homes and taking notes, Mr Thompson said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Mr Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology that could explain his motives. Mr Thompson said it was too early to say if the Justice Department would seek the death penalty but noted that that was among the options available to the government based on the charges. The counts charged in the criminal complaint could be amended by prosecutors as they pursue a grand jury indictment as a prerequisite for bringing the case to trial. Authorities declined to name the two other elected officials whom Boelter allegedly stalked but who escaped harm. But it was clear the shootings were politically motivated, they said. 'This was a targeted attack against individuals who answered the call to public service,' said Alvin Winston, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Minneapolis field office. The resulting search, he said, was the largest manhunt in the history of Minnesota. Boelter's wife consented to a search of her phone by law enforcement, according to an FBI affidavit that cites from a text from Boelter to a family group chat: 'Dad went to war last night … I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody.' Earlier, the search for Boelter was the 'largest manhunt in the state's history,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Alleged gunman went to homes of two other intended targets, police say
But one of the other politicians was not home and the suspect left the other house after police arrived, acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson said at a press conference on Monday. The suspect, Vance Boelter, surrendered to police on Sunday after they found him in the woods near his home following a massive manhunt that began early on Saturday near Minneapolis. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about nine miles away. The 57-year-old Boelter was charged with federal murder and stalking offenses. He already faces state charges, including murder and attempted murder. 'Boelter planned his attack carefully' by researching his intended victims and their families and conducting surveillance of their homes and taking notes, Mr Thompson said. Though the targets were Democrats and elected officials, Mr Thompson said it was too soon to speculate on any sort of political ideology that could explain his motives. Mr Thompson said it was too early to say if the Justice Department would seek the death penalty but noted that that was among the options available to the government based on the charges. The counts charged in the criminal complaint could be amended by prosecutors as they pursue a grand jury indictment as a prerequisite for bringing the case to trial. Authorities declined to name the two other elected officials whom Boelter allegedly stalked but who escaped harm. But it was clear the shootings were politically motivated, they said. 'This was a targeted attack against individuals who answered the call to public service,' said Alvin Winston, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Minneapolis field office. The resulting search, he said, was the largest manhunt in the history of Minnesota. Boelter's wife consented to a search of her phone by law enforcement, according to an FBI affidavit that cites from a text from Boelter to a family group chat: 'Dad went to war last night … I don't wanna say more because I don't wanna implicate anybody.' Earlier, the search for Boelter was the 'largest manhunt in the state's history,' Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.
