Latest news with #CapitolRiot
CBS News
20 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Justice Dept. Capitol Siege Section head Greg Rosen resigns, says Trump Jan. 6 pardons sent "terrible message"
The federal prosecutor who helped lead the largest federal criminal case in American history has resigned his position in the Justice Department. Longtime Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Rosen, the chief of the Justice Department's Capitol Siege Section, has departed for a post with a private law firm. In an interview with CBS News, Rosen said President Trump's pardons of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters continue to shock and alarm the federal investigators who handled the cases. "The message that [the pardons] send is that political violence towards a political goal is acceptable in a modern democratic society," Rosen said. "That, from my perspective, is anathema to a constitutional republic." Rosen helped oversee a team of Justice Department attorneys as the agency grappled with an historically large onslaught of criminal cases after the Capitol riot, which injured dozens of police officers and caused millions of dollars in damage to the Capitol complex. He said the president's decision to pardon all — not just some — of the Capitol riot defendants was a stunning decision that has caused damage. "It sends a terrible message to the American people," Rosen said. "Individuals who were duly — and appropriately — convicted of federal crimes ranging in culpability are immediately let loose without any supervision, without any remorse, without any rehabilitation to civil society." Rosen handled a range of criminal cases during his tenure at the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Columbia, one of the largest and most powerful of the federal prosecutors' offices in the nation. In addition to drug and gun crimes, Rosen took on responsibility for the section handling Jan. 6 cases. He was a lead prosecutor in the case of Leo Kelly, an Iowa man who was convicted at trial in May 2023. He took note of the Justice Department's remarkable success rate in Jan. 6 trials, securing partial or full convictions in 100% of jury trials. Rosen blasted criticism from Trump supporters who allege the juries were biased or the prosecutions were politicized. "The reason those juries convicted — and the reason those judges convicted individuals — was not because of some bug in the due process," Rosen said. "It was because the evidence was overwhelming. It was the most videotaped crime in American history." Soon after Mr. Trump's Inauguration-Day pardons of the Jan. 6 defendants, Justice Department officials demoted or fired some of the prosecutors who handled the Jan. 6 prosecutions and disbanded the Capitol Siege Section. Critics have accused the administration of seeking vengeance or revenge, targeting attorneys with solid track records. "To see those talented prosecutors be marginalized or removed from office is an affront to the independence of the department," Rosen said. The Justice Department and the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rosen will soon be starting his new job as attorney at the Rogers, Joseph O'Donnell law firm in Washington, D.C. He told CBS News, "I felt like it was time for a change — and a time to take what I've been doing and what I've learned over the course of 15 years in state and federal practice — and bring it to the private sector, where I can benefit clients who are being scrutinized by the government."
CNN
6 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Ed Martin, in his new role after US attorney nomination fizzled, is reaching out to witnesses in DOJ weaponization probes
After failing to secure confirmation as the top US attorney in Washington, DC, Ed Martin is now actively serving in multiple new roles inside the Justice Department that give him even more power to punish President Donald Trump's adversaries and reward his supporters. After the Senate torpedoed his nomination, Trump tapped Martin to serve as the director of the department's Weaponization Working Group, which focuses on investigating officials who prosecuted Trump and to serve as the department's lead pardon attorney, a historically nonpartisan position. In his first few weeks on the job, Martin has already sent letters, made calls, and even visited some individuals he believes may have relevant information for his investigations into the alleged politicization of the department, according to a source familiar with this work. On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo laying out how the weaponization group would focus on examining the state and federal investigations into Trump as well as the prosecutions related to the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and other conservative causes. Martin, the source said, is breathing new life into the effort as he takes control of the project, which has expanded to include subjects such as pardons issued by former President Joe Biden. Trump has remained fixated on the investigations he has faced and having an ally like Martin in these jobs gives him new ways to retaliate. Martin recently sent a letter to the National Archives requesting information about White House operations under the Biden administration, the source said. He is also seeking information related to Operation Crossfire Hurricane, the code name for the investigation into links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. He has not sent letters to any individuals informing them they are the target of an investigation, according to the source. Martin's multi-hyphenate role is unusual, even for an administration that wants to upend all the usual ways of doing business at the Justice Department. 'I worked at headquarters for years. Trust me that the jobs we are talking about here are all very senior and remarkably difficult. Installing one person with limited relevant experience to do three of them at once suggests that actually doing the hard work isn't a priority here — this is all about settling scores and nothing else,' former Obama Justice Department official and CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams said on Martin's new roles. During his time as interim US attorney, Martin also sought information on similar subjects, but since taking up his new position at the Justice Department, he has continued this outreach for investigations that will now consume much of his time and have the backing of the attorney general. Martin has already signaled that even if his investigation does not result in criminal charges, he will try to 'shame' individuals. 'There are some really bad actors, some people that did some really bad things to the American people. And if they can be charged, we'll charge them. But if they can't be charged, we will name them,' Martin told reporters at a news conference this month. 'And we will name them, and in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are ashamed.' Historically, the Justice Department has had a strict policy of not releasing details from investigations where charges were not filed. A high-profile exception to that was former FBI Director James Comey's remarks on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. 'This Department of Justice believes that ending the weaponization of government and restoring one tier of justice for all Americans are critical missions which Ed Martin is fighting every day to achieve,' a Justice Department spokesperson said of Martin's role. Martin's ascension to this new roles has raised concerns because of how he used his power as US attorney. One of his very first actions within hours of being installed into the position was dismissing all pending January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot cases and demoting at least eight senior federal prosecutors who worked on them. He also publicly defended Elon Musk, Trump's head of the 'Department of Government Efficiency.' Martin posted a letter online that he had written to Musk, vowing that anyone who threatened or interfered with DOGE's missions would be investigated. 'Martin is President Trump's favorite US Attorney,' one source familiar with his nomination process previously told CNN. When it came time for his confirmation, however, he was unable to garner enough support from Republican senators, even after Trump personally made calls on his behalf. That prompted Trump to pull his nomination and reassign him to the Justice Department main office in roles that did not require confirmation. As pardon attorney – Martin oversees an office and staff that are focused on vetting pardon requests that have come flooding in since his appointment. He has also received requests from big firm lawyers, lobbyists, and grassroots individuals seeking to secure clemency for specific individuals, according to the source. Historically, the pardon attorney is a nonpartisan position that reviews clemency applications and makes recommendations to the White House as to who should received pardons or commutations. 'The framers left no guardrails on the president's pardon power, and for decades, it's really gotten out of control. Nonpartisan career attorneys in the office of the pardon attorney have been the one speedbump getting in the way of presidents' worst impulses,' Williams said. 'Installing someone with no experience in clemency issues and an unabashed grudge-holding streak will be disastrous for the department.' President Trump has historically made many clemency decisions on his own, but Martin's arrival in the job presents an opportunity to reward his allies for what Trump alleges is a politicization of the criminal justice system with a whole office dedicated to vetting requests. Martin has already reviewed dozens of files on requests for commutations, according to a source. The pardon office usually employs a staff of roughly 35, but that number is down after a slew of recent departures. Martin intends to oversee a traditional paperwork process where everyone will be encouraged to submit a pardon application, according to a source familiar with his plans. If the initial application meets the threshold for consideration – there will then be another layer of review which includes background research to help inform a recommendation. Martin recently received a visit from his longtime colleague Peter Ticktin, a Florida attorney working pardon recommendations for January 6 rioters, including one for Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes. Martin accepted the documents but had not personally reviewed them as of Tuesday. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Ex-Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official, is picked to be federal judge
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is nominating his former criminal defense lawyer Emil Bove, who as a high-ranking Justice Department official was behind the controversial move to drop the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, to become a federal appeals court judge. As acting deputy attorney general, Bove has been at the center of some of the department's most scrutinized actions since Trump's return to the White House in January. Bove ordered the dismissal of charges against the Democratic leader of America's biggest city, accused FBI officials of 'insubordination' for refusing to hand over the names of agents who investigated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and ordered the firings of a group of prosecutors involved in the Jan. 6 criminal cases. He also moved aggressively to align the department with Trump's agenda around immigration and other matters, ordering federal prosecutors to investigate for potential criminal prosecution state or local officials who are believed to be interfering with the Republican administration's immigration crackdown. Trump picked Bove to fill a vacancy on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The nomination, which is subject to Senate confirmation, comes just months into Bove's contentious tenure at the department. 'Emil is SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone,' Trump said in a social media post announcing the nomination. 'He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Emil Bove will never let you down!' When Todd Blanche, another former criminal defense attorney for Trump, was sworn in as deputy attorney general, Bove became Blanche's top adviser, serving as the principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, was on the defense team during Trump's New York hush money trial and defended Trump in the federal criminal cases brought by the Justice Department. The Justice Department abandoned Trump's federal 2020 election interference case and the classified documents case after Trump won the election in November. Bove's order to dismiss the Adams case roiled the department. Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and several high-ranking department officials resigned rather than carrying out Bove's order. In remarkable departure from long-standing department norms, Bove said the case should be dropped because it was interfering with the mayor's ability to aid the president's crackdown on illegal immigration. Bove clerked for two federal judges appointed by President George W. Bush, a Republican. He then spent nine years at the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan where he specialized in prosecuting drug kingpins and alleged terrorists. He was involved in multiple high-profile prosecutions, including a drug-trafficking case against the former Honduran president's brother, a man who set off a pressure cooker device in Manhattan and a man who sent dozens of mail bombs to prominent targets across the country. Bove's actions at the New York office, however, rankled some fellow prosecutors and defense attorneys. In 2018, the federal public defender's office compiled complaints about his behavior from defense attorneys and sent them to two top officials in the U.S. attorney's office. About 18 months after the email was sent, Bove was promoted to be co-chief of the office's national security and international narcotics unit.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Bitcoin Up as JD Vance Keynotes Crypto Conference: Live Updates
Vice President JD Vance is due to speak at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference in Las Vegas today, which coincides with the Trump administration's growing support for cryptocurrency. Vance is set to speak at the conference at noon ET vice president, he is the highest-ranking U.S. official to speak at the annual between $250,000-$500,000 in Bitcoin, Vance has been a long supporter of the Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are also scheduled to speak at the Trump was once skeptical of crypto, calling it a scam, but has had a change of heart, giving Bitcoin a say the Trump family's crypto ties raise ethics and conflict concerns. Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates. Trump announced several pardons this week and has been issuing some since the start of his term. Here is a list of those pardons: January 6 Capitol Riot defendantsRoss UlbrichtAndrew Zabavsky and Terence Dale Sutton, activistsRob BlagojevichBrian KelseyDevon ArcherTrevor MiltonBitMEX co-foundersMichele FiorePaul WalczakScott JenkinsTodd and Julie Chrisley Read about the full list of pardons on Newsweek. On Tuesday, the Trump administration sued North Carolina's election board, accusing it of violating federal law by failing to ensure registration forms included required ID numbers. The Department of Justice says the board did not inform applicants that they had to provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, which the 2002 Help America Vote Act requires. The suit asks a federal court judge to order the board to develop a plan within 30 days to contact voters with missing information and update the voter rolls. The previous Democrat-held board acknowledged the issue in 2023 but refused to retroactively contact affected voters before the 2024 election. The board's new Republican majority is said to be more open to federal demands. Executive Director Sam Hayes said the agency is studying the lawsuit and is committed to finding compliance. The lawsuit follows Republican efforts over the years to ensure voter roll accuracy, speeding up after President Trump's March executive order regarding election integrity. Local elections begin in September. Related Articles Full List of Donald Trump Pardons During His Second TermTrust in Media Growing Under Donald TrumpRussian State TV Network Mocks Donald Trump's Attack on PutinNearly Half of Americans Say Trump Not Being Transparent About Health 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Full List of Donald Trump Pardons During His Second Term
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has announced a string of pardons this week, the latest examples of him using his clemency power to pardon people he believes have been treated unfairly by the justice system. Since the start of his second term, Trump has issued a string of pardons while criticizing what he describes as the politicalization and weaponization of the justice system. While his supporters see these pardons as efforts to correct unjust sentences, critics say they reflect a pattern of using presidential power to amplify Trump's narrative of persecution and to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the justice system. Here is a full list of people Trump has so far pardoned in his second term. President Donald Trump pictured in the Oval Office at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. He has issued several pardons so far in his second term. President Donald Trump pictured in the Oval Office at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. He has issued several pardons so far in his second 6 Capitol Riot Defendants On his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, Trump granted full pardons to nearly everyone charged with offenses related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, totaling approximately 1,500 individuals. This sweeping action included both nonviolent participants and those convicted of violent crimes against law enforcement. Trump also commuted the sentences of 14 prominent figures from far-right groups relating to the Capitol attack. This included Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader, who was previously sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy, and Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, whose 18-year sentence was commuted to time served. This mass clemency was described by Trump as an effort to "end a grave national injustice" and promote "national reconciliation." Ross Ulbricht On January 21, Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, an anonymous platform that facilitated the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit goods using cryptocurrency. Ulbricht had been given a life sentence in 2015 for multiple charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics and money laundering. The pardon fulfilled a campaign promise Trump made at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention and was supported by libertarian and cryptocurrency communities, who viewed the sentence as an example of government overreach. He pardoned Ulbricht in spite of his parallel calls for drug dealers to be executed in the U.S. Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Dale Sutton, Jr. Trump issued a "full and unconditional pardon" to Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department officers Andrew Zabavsky and Terence Sutton for their roles in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown. The pair were sentenced for their involvement in the death of Hylton-Brown, who they had pursued in a high-speed chase for driving a moped without a helmet, and for covering up the incident. Anti-Abortion Activists Trump pardoned 23 anti-abortion activists on January 23 who had been convicted in 2023 under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for blockading a clinic entrance in Washington, D.C., abortion clinic and intimidating staff and patients. This included Lauren Handy, the controversial activist inside whose home authorities discovered five fetuses in 2022. Rod Blagojevich In February, Trump granted a full pardon to former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been convicted in 2011 on multiple corruption charges, including attempting to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. The former Democratic governor has been a vocal Trump supporter, previously describing himself as a "Trump-ocrat." Trump had commuted his sentence during his first term, leading to him being released after serving eight years. The new pardon clears his criminal record. Brian Kelsey In March, Trump pardoned the former Republican Tennessee state Senator Brian Kelsey, who had pleaded guilty over attempting to illegally funnel money to his failed campaign for Congress in 2016. He was only two weeks into his 21-month prison sentence when he was pardoned. Devon Archer In March, Trump granted a full pardon to Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, who had been convicted in 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribe in a $60 million bond scheme. Archer became a key figure in the congressional inquiry into the Biden family businesses, testifying that former President Joe Biden's son had sold the "illusion of access" to his father to clients and business associates. Trump said that Archer, who had been sentenced to one year and one day in prison, had been treated "very unfairly." Trevor Milton The president pardoned Trevor Milton, the founder of electric vehicle start-up Nikola, in March, who had been sentenced to four years in prison for fraud but remained free pending an appeal. Prosecutors said that Milton had engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, and he was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. Milton and his wife were major Trump donors, having donated more than $1.8 million to his re-election campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission. BitMEX co-founders In March, Trump also pardoned three co-founders of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes and Samuel Reed. The trio had pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement a compliant anti-money laundering program. Michele Fiore In March the president issued a pardon for Michele Fiore, who had been convicted of seven counts relating to wire fraud for stealing $70,000 she had collected for a memorial to fallen police officers, and instead used for personal expenses. She was pardoned before being sentenced. Paul Walczak In April, Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a former nursing home executive convicted of misappropriating over $10 million in employment taxes for personal luxury spending. The pardon came after lobbying efforts by his mother, Elizabeth Fago, a significant Trump donor. Trump's decision was announced less than three weeks after Fago attended a $1 million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Scott Jenkins On May 26, Trump announced a pardon of Scott Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, who was convicted of accepting more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing individuals as auxiliary deputies. Jenkins had been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in 2024. Trump criticized the prosecution as politically motivated and said Jenkins was the "victim of an overzealous" justice department under Biden. Todd and Julie Chrisley On May 27, Trump said he planned to pardon reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted in 2022 of several counts of fraud and tax evasion involving over $30 million. Todd was serving a 12-year sentence, and Julie was serving seven years. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, a vocal Trump supporter, had lobbied for their release and received the news of their pardon in a phone call from the president.
