Latest news with #JusticeManual
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Raskin launches probe of McIver charges in ICE facility scuffle
Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the charges filed against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and the mayor of Newark, N.J., saying the moves appears to violate Justice Department policy. McIver was charged last month after a scuffle with Department of Homeland Security officers outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility after they began to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). Alina Habba, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey and former personal attorney to President Trump, charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement, saying she used her forearms to push back against agents. Habba's office has already moved to dismiss the trespassing charges initially filed against Baraka, earning a reprimand from the judge in the case who cited an 'apparent rush in this case, culminating … in the embarrassing retraction of charges.' 'Ms. Habba's unprecedented charging decision is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to deter us from carrying out our constitutional oversight duties. It appears Ms. Habba brought these charges in violation of long-standing Department of Justice (DOJ) policies designed to prevent exactly this type of politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power,' Raskin wrote. Raskin fired off a series of questions about the charges brought against both McIver and Baraka. That includes whether there was any contact with the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ. 'DOJ prosecutors must consult with the Public Integrity Section before initiating an investigation of Members of Congress and must seek the Section's approval before bringing charges. 21 Reports suggest, however, that Ms. Habba did not,' Raskin wrote. 'The consultation requirement is designed to guard against a rampant Executive Branch weaponizing the vast apparatus of federal law enforcement against the President's perceived enemies, or even the perception that a DOJ investigation or prosecution was motivated by improper political purpose. The Justice Manual is clear that approval from the Public Integrity Section is required before charging a Member of Congress with a crime based on actions taken in their official capacity.' The Justice Department said it is considering removing the requirement that prosecutors first consult with the Public Integrity Section. Raskin asks the DOJ whom Habba consulted before bringing charges, if she coordinated with Trump or any White House staff, and to turn over all communications regarding the charges. For her part, McIver has denied any wrongdoing and noted she rejected a plea deal from Habba, saying it pushed her to 'admit to doing something that I did not do.' 'I came there to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I'm not doing that. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing my job because they don't want me to, or they want to neglect the fact that we needed to be in there to see what was going on and that detention center, and so, absolutely, no, I was not going to do that,' McIver said last month during an appearance on CNN. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- General
- The Hill
Raskin launches probe of McIver charges in ICE facility scuffle
Rep. Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is launching an investigation into the charges filed against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and the mayor of Newark, N.J., saying the move appears to violate Justice Department policy. McIver was charged last month after a scuffle with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility after they began to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). Alina Habba, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and former personal attorney to President Trump, charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement, saying she used her forearms to push back against agents. Habba's office has already moved to dismiss the trespassing charges initially filed against Baraka, earning a reprimand from the judge in the case who cited an 'apparent rush in this case, culminating…in the embarrassing retraction of charges.' 'Ms. Habba's unprecedented charging decision is a blatant attempt to intimidate Members of Congress and to deter us from carrying out our constitutional oversight duties. It appears Ms. Habba brought these charges in violation of long-standing Department of Justice (DOJ) policies designed to prevent exactly this type of politically motivated abuse of prosecutorial power,' Raskin wrote. Raskin fired off a series of questions about the charges brought against both McIver and Baraka. That includes whether there was any contact with the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department. 'DOJ prosecutors must consult with the Public Integrity Section before initiating an investigation of Members of Congress and must seek the Section's approval before bringing charges. 21 Reports suggest, however, that Ms. Habba did not,' Raskin wrote. 'The consultation requirement is designed to guard against a rampant Executive Branch weaponizing the vast apparatus of federal law enforcement against the President's perceived enemies, or even the perception that a DOJ investigation or prosecution was motivated by improper political purpose. The Justice Manual is clear that approval from the Public Integrity Section is required before charging a Member of Congress with a crime based on actions taken in their official capacity.' The Justice Department said it is considering removing the requirement that prosecutors first consult with the Public Integrity Section. Raskin asks the DOJ whom Habba consulted before bringing charges, if she coordinated with Trump or any White House staff, and to turn over all communications regarding the charges. For her part, McIver has denied any wrongdoing and noted she rejected a plea deal from Habba, saying it pushed her to 'admit to doing something that I did not do.' 'I came there to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I'm not doing that. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing my job because they don't want me to, or they want to neglect the fact that we needed to be in there to see what was going on and that detention center, and so, absolutely, no, I was not going to do that,' McIver said during an appearance last month on CNN.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ may waive key review for elected officials' prosecutions
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering allowing prosecutors to bypass consultation with the Public Integrity Section as they pursue charges against elected officials. In doing so, the Trump administration would cut a key review from a team of prosecutors who specialize in bringing cases against public officials — a team also assembled to help ensure charges aren't brought for political reasons. The potential shift, however, comes at a time when Trump administration members have floated cases against several officials. A Justice Department official confirmed the move, saying it would be a shift from 'centralizing all authority' in the Public Integrity Section. 'Justice Manual provisions for several sections are under review. No final decisions have been made. The point of the review is to ensure that equal responsibility is held in the field,' they said. The Washington Post first reported the development. The potential change would leave U.S. attorneys across the country free to pursue cases against elected officials — and some Trump nominees have already threatened to do so. Ed Martin, who until last week served as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, ignited an inquiry into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for comments he made five years prior about Supreme Court justices. Martin similarly sent a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) after the lawmaker made comments about pushing back against Elon Musk. After key GOP opposition to his nomination to lead the office tanked his confirmation process, Martin has since been tapped to lead the department's Weaponization Working Group. And in New Jersey, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) was arrested and later charged with trespassing after a clash with immigration officials as lawmakers gathered to tour a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Trump officials have warned there could be charges for the three New Jersey Democrats present that day: Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver. The three lawmakers said they did nothing wrong as they showed up for a tour, blaming ICE officials for escalating the situation. The Public Integrity Section has brought a number of cases against officials, though several have not scored conviction. The team recently helped bring charges against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D). The case against Adams was later dismissed under the Trump administration, prompting a wave of resignations from the Public Integrity Section. Federal prosecutors have also lost high-profile cases against elected officials, like those into former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), with the conviction in the latter case overturned by the Supreme Court. Updated at 11:03 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
In latest Trump overhaul, Justice Department may change who prosecutes public corruption
In latest Trump overhaul, Justice Department may change who prosecutes public corruption The review comes after President Donald Trump criticized the alleged 'weaponization' of prosecutions of public officials including him. Show Caption Hide Caption What we know now about the Trump administration and justice system Could the Trump administrations actions against lawyers and judges set a precedent? Here is what we know now. Justice Department considers moving decisions about public corruption cases from headquarters to 94 regional U.S. attorney's offices. No decision has been made about possible changes in the Justice Manual, a written guide to how cases are pursued. WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is considering moving decisions about whether to prosecute public officials such as members of Congress to regional U.S. attorney's offices rather than at headquarters, part of President Donald Trump's overhaul of the department and its public corruption enforcement. Public integrity cases, such as the indictment that was dropped against New York Mayor Eric Adams or conviction of former Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., are among the highest-profile cases the department prosecutes. The department is reviewing the provisions of several sections of its Justice Manual, which provides written guidance about how cases are pursued but no decisions have been made, according to a department official. Trump has been critical of department prosecutions and he has stopped enforcing some anti-bribery statutes. Trump is also accused by critics of taking bribes from foreign governments, most recently for saying he would accept a $400 million airplane from Qatar, although he contends the gift would be to the Defense Department and not him personally. The review aims to ensure that U.S. attorneys in 94 offices nationwide share equal responsibility with headquarters officials in choosing whether to pursue public corruption cases, according to a department official speaking on background. No final decisions have been made, the department official said. The review was first reported by The Washington Post. Public corruption cases are often politically sensitive. Adams argued politics were behind his prosecution for allegedly taking bribes from the Turkish government during the Biden administration, because he had blamed the federal government for an influx of migrants. Adams, a Democrat who is now running for reelection as an independent, dropped previous criticism of Trump and flew to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him. The Trump administration dropped the charges by arguing the case distracted the mayor from helping federal authorities enforce immigration laws. Prosecutors working on the case, including one of Trump's own appointees, resigned in protest of that decision. John Keller the acting head of the Justice Department's public corruption unit, also resigned in protest and the Trump administration subsequently slashed that unit's staffing. Trump was indicted in two federal cases between his two president terms before won back the office. He has complained for years the department 'weaponized' its prosecutions for political reasons. But former President Joe Biden and former Attorney General Merrick Garland denied political motivations were behind Trump indictments for mishandling classified documents and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The department dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election under longstanding policy not to prosecute a sitting president. A Trump nominee to become U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., Ed Martin, threatened to investigate Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for allegedly threatening Supreme Court justices during a protest. Martin withdrew from consideration for the post that requires Senate confirmation and Trump named him to a Justice Department post instead.
The Hill
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
DOJ may wave key review for elected officials' prosecutions
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering allowing prosecutors to bypass consultation with the Public Integrity Section as they pursue charges against elected officials. In doing so, the Trump administration would cut a key review from a team of prosecutors who specialize in bringing cases against public officials — a team also assembled to help ensure charges aren't brought for political reasons. The potential shift, however, comes at a time when Trump administration members have floated cases against several officials. A Justice Department official confirmed the move, saying it would be a shift from 'centralizing all authority' in the Public Integrity Section. 'Justice Manual provisions for several sections are under review. No final decisions have been made. The point of the review is to ensure that equal responsibility is held in the field,' they said. The Washington Post first reported the development. Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The potential change would leave U.S. attorneys across the country free to pursue cases against elected officials — and some Trump nominees have already threatened to do so. Ed Martin, who until last week served as the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., ignited an inquiry into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for comments he made five years prior about Supreme Court justices. Martin similarly sent a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) after the lawmaker made comments about pushing back against Elon Musk. And in New Jersey, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) was arrested and later charged with trespassing after a clash with immigration officials as lawmakers gathered to tour a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. Trump officials have warned there could be charges for the three New Jersey Democrats present that day: Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver. The three lawmakers said they did nothing wrong as they showed up for a tour, blaming ICE officials for escalating the situation. The Public Integrity Section has brought a number of cases against officials, though several have not scored conviction. The team recently helped bring charges against former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and New York Mayor Eric Adams (D). The case against Adams was later dismissed under the Trump administration, prompting a wave of resignations from the Public Integrity Section. Federal prosecutors have also lost high-profile cases against elected officials, like those into former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), with the conviction in the latter case overturned by the Supreme Court.
