Latest news with #DeniseCheung
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
10 things to know about POTUS push to curb gun rights in D.C.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — One of the most intense debates to characterize the United States for the last 26 years is regarding guns rights. And while President George W. Bush's two terms and the first presidential term of Donald Trump was characterized with holding true to the Republican push to expand how the Second Amendment is interpreted, the second presidential term for Trump is taking a decidedly different position. 10 facts about Kelly Slater's $16.5M Hawaiʻi North Shore home for sale According to the Washington Post, POTUS is marking certain people for prosecution. Here's what we know so far. The interim United States Attorney General, Ed Martin, has launched a new initiative called 'Make D.C. Safe Again'. It's an initiative that involves federal prosecutors moving to focus heavily on all firearms cases in the city. According to Martin, it's meant to make the city safer, abandoning the 'guns don't kill people; people kill people' boilerplate response to gun violence. Denise Cheung, who served as the chief of the Criminal Division in the office of the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., resigned after saying she was pressured to launch a criminal investigation and to freeze assets related to a grant awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during President Biden's tenure. She claims there was no evidence of a crime. The current prosecutor for the Justice Department's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Jonathan Hornok intends to step in to replace Denise Cheung as the chief of the office's Criminal to sources, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have been ordered to pursue every firearms case referred to them. These prosecutors were also instructed to seek pretrial detention against every person charged with such an offense. A memo from Ed Martin provides instructions to prosecutors that explains who, how and what to seek in pretrial detention cases for every person charged with a firearms offense. This move is meant to be applied to everyone regardless of what the circumstances are. The memo stated that if a magistrate judge denies a request for pretrial detention in a firearms case, then the prosecutor is required to appeal that decision. Ed Martin's memo stated, 'We will flood the federal district court with cases to make our City safe'. This is a reference to the new initiative's focus on increasing the number of firearms cases in court. There are about a dozen agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) who have been reassigned to support the 'Make D.C. Safe Again' initiative. Last week, Ed Martin demoted more than half a dozen senior leaders in his office who were in charge of prosecutions related to fraud, public corruption, civil rights, firearms, narcotics trafficking and child exploitation. New interim U.S. Attorneys are expected to be appointed. Amongst them include Kelly Hayes who was named Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. You can click to read more about it. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 With the Republican Party working diligently to ensure the unfettered expansion of Second Amendment interpretations, it's going to be interesting to see how all this plays out over the coming year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee
WASHINGTON — A longtime federal prosecutor resigned Tuesday rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to take actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained by NBC News. Denise Cheung, who had been at the Justice Department for over 24 years and was the head of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, wrote in her resignation letter to interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin that she had "always sought to offer sound and ethical counsel" to her bosses throughout multiple administrations, and that she had been asked to take investigative and law enforcement actions despite what she called the lack of "sufficient evidence." Cheung wrote that she was asked on Monday to review documentation provided by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) — currently headed by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove — 'to open a criminal investigation into whether a contract had been unlawfully awarded by an executive agency' during former President Joe Biden's administration. Her letter did not specify the grants at issue, but three sources told NBC News it had to do with environmental grants issued during the Biden administration. A Department of Justice spokesperson said that "refusing a basic request to pause an investigation so officials can examine the potential waste of government funds is not an act of heroism — just a failure to follow chain of command." The new resignation comes amid a period of turmoil within the Justice Department. Most recently, seven prosecutors chose to resign rather than follow orders to drop the case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a decision that several described in letters as improper and politically motivated. In the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office, Martin — who pushed unfounded election conspiracy theories after the 2020 vote and later was an advocate for Jan. 6 defendants — disbanded the unit investigating and prosecuting Capitol rioters and launched a review of their work. Cheung wrote that she was told the issue "was time sensitive and action had to be taken that day because there was concern that contract awardees could continue to draw down on accounts handled by the bank handling the disbursements." Cheung wrote that she conferred with others in the office on Monday, a federal holiday, about whether there was a basis for opening a grand jury investigation. She assessed that "the existing documents on their face did not seem to meet this threshold," she wrote in her letter. But "an ODAG representative stated that he believed sufficient predication existed" for the investigation, she continued. Cheung wrote that she was then told that the ODAG representative would work directly with a federal prosecutor and "bypass" the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office, before being informed that a "freeze letter" requesting that a bank freeze certain assets "would be adequate at this point, as opposed to other legal process." Cheung wrote that she contacted a supervisor in the FBI Washington Field Office, and they and others discussed "what, if any, possible criminal charges might be applicable, as well as the sufficiency of the evidence." Cheung wrote that she sent a draft freeze letter provided by the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) and that ODAG had provided some language suggesting that there was probable cause to seize the assets, but Cheung said that language "was not appropriate" for the matter at hand. "Despite expressing some concern about the current lack of evidence of any apparent crime and the need to send any such freeze letter, FBI-WFO personnel were able to consult with necessary individuals, including legal counsel, at their office," Cheung wrote. "I was told that if FBI-WFO was unwilling to send out such a freeze letter, that you would direct someone from the USAO-DC to send out such a correspondence to the bank." While the FBI's Washington Field Office "determined they were willing to send out the freeze letter," Cheung wrote, the office asked Cheung to send an email stating that there was possible evidence of potential criminal violations. Cheung wrote in an email to the FBI that the most she'd be willing to say was that there "may be conduct that constitutes potential violations" of two laws, conspiracy to defraud the United States and wire fraud, that "merits additional investigation." After the FBI field office sent its letter to the bank recommending a 30-day freeze, Cheung wrote that she received a call from Martin and one of his top aides. 'You expressed dissatisfaction about the adequacy of the FBI-WFO letter and criticized that the language merely 'recommended' that a freeze of the accounts take place," Cheung wrote in her letter. "You also directed that a second letter be immediately issued to the bank under your and my name ordering the bank not to release any funds in the subject accounts pursuant to the criminal investigation being run out of USAO-DC. When I explained that the quantum of evidence did not support that action, you stated that you believed there was sufficient evidence. "You also accused me about wasting five hours of the day 'doing nothing' except trying to get what the FBI and I wanted, but not what you wanted," Cheung continued. "As I shared with you, at this juncture, based upon the evidence I have reviewed, I still do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to issue the letter you described, including sufficient evidence to tell the bank that there is probable cause to seize the particular accounts identified. Because I believed that I lacked the legal authority to issue such a letter, I told you that I would not do so. You then asked for my resignation." 'I remain committed to the oath that I took, and it has been the honor of a lifetime to be an AUSA in this Office," Cheung wrote, using an acronym for assistant U.S. attorney. "I know that all of the AUSAs in the Office will continue to uphold that pledge that they have taken, following the facts and the law and complying with their moral, ethical, and legal obligations." Trump announced on Monday that he would seek to install Martin as the permanent U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin, who was still listed as a defense attorney for Jan. 6 defendants until earlier this month, has been acting U.S. attorney for Washington since Inauguration Day, when Trump pardoned convicted rioters, including some of Martin's clients. Trump's announcement came less than 72 hours after Martin announced on X — the platform known as Twitter before it was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk — that he would be investigating former special counsel Jack Smith over pro bono legal help he received from a private law firm. Martin, in a speech outside the Capitol on the eve of the Jan. 6 attack, called on 'die-hard true Americans' to work until their "last breath" to "stop the steal." Neither Martin nor the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia immediately responded to a request for comment from NBC News. This article was originally published on
NBC News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee
WASHINGTON — A longtime federal prosecutor resigned Tuesday rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to take actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained by NBC News. Denise Cheung, who had been at the Justice Department for over 24 years and who was serving as the head of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, wrote in her resignation letter to Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin that she had "always sought to offer sound and ethical counsel" to her bosses throughout multiple administrations, and that she had been asked to take investigative and law enforcement actions despite what she called the lack of "sufficient evidence." Cheung wrote that she was asked on Monday to review documentation provided by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) — currently headed by Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove — 'to open a criminal investigation into whether a contract had been unlawfully awarded by an executive agency' during former President Joe Biden's administration. Her letter did not specify the grants at issue, but three sources told NBC News it had to do with environmental grants issued during the Biden administration. A Department of Justice spokesperson said that "refusing a basic request to pause an investigation so officials can examine the potential waste of government funds is not an act of heroism — just a failure to follow chain of command." The new resignation comes amid a period of turmoil within the Justice Department. Most recently, seven prosecutors chose to resign rather than follow orders to drop the case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a decision that several described in letters as improper and politically motivated. In the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office, Martin — who pushed unfounded election conspiracy theories after the 2020 vote and later was an advocate for Jan. 6 defendants — disbanded the unit investigating and prosecuting Capitol rioters and launched a review of their work. Cheung wrote that she was told the issue "was time sensitive and action had to be taken that day because there was concern that contract awardees could continue to draw down on accounts handled by the bank handling the disbursements." Cheung wrote that she conferred with others in the office on Monday, a federal holiday, about whether there was a basis for opening a grand jury investigation. She assessed that "the existing documents on their face did not seem to meet this threshold," she wrote in her letter. But "an ODAG representative stated that he believed sufficient predication existed" for the investigation, she continued. Cheung wrote that she was then told that the ODAG representative would work directly with a federal prosecutor and "bypass" the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office, before being informed that a "freeze letter" requesting that a bank freeze certain assets "would be adequate at this point, as opposed to other legal process." Cheung wrote that she contacted a supervisor in the FBI Washington Field Office, and they and others discussed "what, if any, possible criminal charges might be applicable, as well as the sufficiency of the evidence." Cheung wrote that she sent a draft freeze letter provided by the FBI Washington Field Office, and that ODAG had provided some language suggesting that there was probable cause to seize the assets, but Cheung said that language "was not appropriate" for the matter at hand. "Despite expressing some concern about the current lack of evidence of any apparent crime and the need to send any such freeze letter, FBI-WFO personnel were able to consult with necessary individuals, including legal counsel, at their office," Cheung wrote. "I was told that if FBI-WFO was unwilling to send out such a freeze letter, that you would direct someone from the USAO-DC to send out such a correspondence to the bank." While the FBI's Washington Field Office "determined they were willing to send out the freeze letter," Cheung wrote, the office asked Cheung to send an email stating that there was possible evidence of potential criminal violations. Cheung wrote in an email to the FBI that the most she'd be willing to say was that there "may be conduct that constitutes potential violations" of two laws, conspiracy to defraud the United States and wire fraud, that "merits additional investigation." After the FBI field office sent its letter to the bank recommending a 30-day freeze, Cheung wrote that she received a call from Martin and one of his top aides. 'You expressed dissatisfaction about the adequacy of the FBI-WFO letter and criticized that the language merely 'recommended' that a freeze of the accounts take place," Cheung wrote in her letter. "You also directed that a second letter be immediately issued to the bank under your and my name ordering the bank not to release any funds in the subject accounts pursuant to the criminal investigation being run out of USAO-DC. When I explained that the quantum of evidence did not support that action, you stated that you believed there was sufficient evidence. "You also accused me about wasting five hours of the day 'doing nothing' except trying to get what the FBI and I wanted, but not what you wanted," Cheung continued. "As I shared with you, at this juncture, based upon the evidence I have reviewed, I still do not believe that there is sufficient evidence to issue the letter you described, including sufficient evidence to tell the bank that there is probable cause to seize the particular accounts identified. Because I believed that I lacked the legal authority to issue such a letter, I told you that I would not do so. You then asked for my resignation." 'I remain committed to the oath that I took, and it has been the honor of a lifetime to be an AUSA in this Office," Cheung wrote. "I know that all of the AUSAs in the Office will continue to uphold that pledge that they have taken, following the facts and the law and complying with their moral, ethical, and legal obligations." Trump announced on Monday that he would seek to install Martin as the permanent U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin, who was still listed as a defense attorney for Jan. 6 defendants until earlier this month, has been acting U.S. attorney for Washington since Inauguration Day, when Trump pardoned convicted rioters, including some of Martin's clients. Trump's announcement came less than 72 hours after Martin announced on X — the platform known as Twitter before it was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk — that he would be investigating former Special Counsel Jack Smith over pro bono legal help he received from a private law firm. Martin, in a speech outside the Capitol on the eve of the Jan. 6 attack, called on 'die-hard true Americans' to work until their "last breath" to "stop the steal."
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head of DOJ's criminal division in Washington abruptly resigns
The head of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington — one of the Justice Department's most powerful prosecuting offices — abruptly resigned Tuesday for reasons that remain unclear. Denise Cheung, who has worked in the office since 2000, informed colleagues of her departure in an email sent Tuesday morning. 'I took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, and I have executed this duty faithfully during my tenure, which has spanned through numerous Administrations,' Cheung wrote to colleagues, urging them to 'fulfill your commitment to pursuing Justice without fear or prejudice.' Cheung's departure, first reported by CNN, comes as President Donald Trump seeks to elevate the office's temporary leader — interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin — to the post permanently. Martin, a leader of the pro-Trump 2020 'Stop the Steal' efforts, who has advocated for Jan. 6 defendants and espoused conspiracy theories about the violent attack on the Capitol, oversaw the dismissal of hundreds of Jan. 6 cases in Trump's first weeks in office. He has also publicly revealed investigations he says the office is undertaking, a break from Justice Department policies about commenting on ongoing probes. Her departure also comes amid broader turmoil at the Justice Department, including the summary termination of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and questions about DOJ leaders' intention for thousands of FBI agents and employees who worked on those cases. It also comes amid resignations from the government's Public Integrity Division and the Manhattan-based prosecutors' office over DOJ leaders' decision to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head of Justice Department's Washington, DC, criminal division quits
The head of the criminal division within the DC US Attorney's Office has left her post, according to four sources. The sudden departure of Justice Department veteran Denise Cheung comes a day after President Donald Trump announced his nominee to lead the prosecutor's office, Ed Martin, who has supported unwinding all January 6 criminal cases that the office brought. Martin had been in the position on an interim basis, and had enlisted Cheung and another career prosecutor in the office to look at how prosecutors charged January 6 rioters with a felony obstruction charge that the Supreme Court later overturned. Cheung sent a farewell message office-wide on Tuesday morning. She didn't indicate her reason for leaving. Cheung's departure also comes at a time of roiling change across the DOJ, with prosecutors deemed to be untrustworthy being fired, and ethical clashes erupting between Trump's hand-picked political appointees and long-time federal prosecutors. 'When I started as an AUSA, I took an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution, and I have executed this duty faithfully during my tenure, which has spanned through numerous Administrations,' Cheung wrote in her sign-off email to her colleagues. 'I know that all of the AUSAs in the office continue to honor their oaths on a daily basis, just as I know that you have always conducted yourself with the utmost integrity.' Cheung didn't respond to a request for comment from CNN Tuesday morning, nor did spokespeople for the US Attorney's Office.
