Latest news with #MerrickGarland
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Biden DOJ actively sought 'federal hook' for school board memo about 'domestic terrorists,' documents reveal
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative legal group revealed a tranche of correspondence on Friday from the Biden administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) shedding new light on the behind-the-scenes correspondence about a controversial memo former Attorney General Merrick Garland wrote about school boards. The document dump included an email from an aide to the deputy attorney general that the DOJ was searching for a "federal hook" to use to address a letter by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) raising alarm about parents who were expressing outrage at school board meetings across the country. "We're aware; the challenge here is finding a federal hook. But WH has been in touch about whether we can assist in some form or fashion," deputy attorney general aide Kevin Chambers wrote to a colleague on Oct. 1. Garland issued a directive to the FBI in October 2021 about a "disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence" against school administrators. Garland said during a congressional hearing soon thereafter that he had issued the order just after the NSBA sent a letter to the White House, which the NSBA later retracted, that had asked the White House to investigate parents displaying threatening behavior at school board meetings as possible "domestic terrorists." The emails were uncovered by America First Legal. Its president, Gene Hamilton, said in a statement that the emails indicated a "conspiracy that was ultimately aimed at depriving parents of two fundamental rights--the right to speak, and the right to direct the upbringing up their children." The revelation comes as the White House has changed its posture during the Trump administration to overtly coordinate with the DOJ to investigate the president's enemies. Trump signed executive orders in April directing the DOJ to investigate former Homeland Security official Miles Taylor and former cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs. Fox News Digital reported this week that the White House counsel's office is coordinating with the DOJ to investigate Biden's use of an autopen. One recently fired DOJ employee of nearly two decades alleged to CBS News that the Trump administration had done away with policies on coordinating with the White House. "There used to be a line, used to be a very distinct separation between the White House and the Department of Justice, because one should not interfere with the work of the other," the ex-employee said. "That line is very definitely gone."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill O'Reilly Corrected On-Air Over False Claim Biden Oversaw Epstein Conviction: ‘How Do You Convict a Guy That Is Dead?'
Bill O'Reilly falsely doubled down that Jeffrey Epstein was convicted under Joe Biden's administration. While appearing on NewsNation Monday night, host Leland Vittert had to correct O'Reilly multiple times after the former 'O'Reilly Factor' star asserted that the disgraced film financier was convicted under Biden's admin by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Epstein was both arrested and committed suicide in 2019 – a full year and a half before Biden took office. More from TheWrap 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 Release Schedule: What Time Are New Episodes Streaming? 'Superman' Breakout Edi Gathegi on His Comic Book-Accurate Mister Terrific – and Potential TV Spinoff Bill O'Reilly Corrected On-Air Over False Claim Biden Oversaw Epstein Conviction: 'How Do You Convict a Guy That Is Dead?' | Video Apple's Matt Cherniss Teases 'Very Bright' Future for 'Severance,' 'The Studio' and 'Shrinking' After Record Emmy Noms 'Epstein was convicted during the Biden administration,' O'Reilly said. 'Hold on, Bill,' Vittert interrupted. 'You said Epstein was convicted during the Biden administration. Epstein committed suicide during the Trump administration.' 'Yeah, so?' O'Reilly asked. 'How do you convict a guy that is dead?' Vittert responded. Bill O'Reilly doubled down: "Epstein was convicted under Merrick Garland's Justice Department."Leland Vittert: "He was arrested in 2019, and he committed suicide in 2019… So the Biden administration was not involved in a conviction or a trial of him."O'Reilly: "But he was… — Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) July 15, 2025 'I believe he was convicted under Merrick Garland's justice department,' O'Reilly said attempting to regain his footing. 'Then he was incarcerated. Then he committed suicide. The suicide thing is bull…' At that point, Vittert interrupted O'Reilly once more to clarify the timeline. 'Bill, I think this is important, he was arrested in 2019 and committed suicide in 2019, died August 10th of 2019. So the Biden administration was not involved in a conviction or a trial of him.' 'He was arrested and indicted under Merrick Garland,' O'Reilly continued to falsely claim. 'Who had all the information…' 'No! Under Trump,' Vittert corrected again. 'Epstein was arrested, indicted and committed suicide under Trump in 2019. Trump was president. Merrick Garland was not the attorney general.' A new fervor in Epstein and his purported client list arose after a new memo released by the DOJ and FBI released last week insisted the Trump-mandated investigation into Epstein's criminal past 'did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' This came mere months after Bondi told Fox News that she was in possession of a list of that very nature. The news – or lack thereof – about the Epstein list created a schism in Donald Trump's MAGA base with some passionate for information on one end and those ready to move onto the next topic on the other. For O'Reilly, it meant falsely breaking down the timeline of Epstein's conviction. 'I stand corrected,' O'Reilly finally conceded. You can watch the full exchange in the video above. The post Bill O'Reilly Corrected On-Air Over False Claim Biden Oversaw Epstein Conviction: 'How Do You Convict a Guy That Is Dead?' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
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The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Bill O'Reilly forced to admit that his Biden claims about Epstein are false: ‘Yeah, so?!'
Bill O'Reilly reluctantly had to admit on Monday night that his outlandish claims about the Biden administration and former Attorney General Merrick Garland 'convicting' Jeffrey Epstein were false, muttering a truculent 'yeah, so' when NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert corrected him. Amid the ongoing MAGA meltdown over the Justice Department concluding that Epstein died by suicide and didn't keep a 'client list,' which has only escalated after Donald Trump ordered his 'boys' and 'gals' to drop the matter, O'Reilly has contended that the president had good reasons not to release additional documents in the Epstein case. 'I talked to President Trump, man-to-man, eye-to-eye, on St. Patrick's Day about this. … And he said — and I agree — 'There are a lot of names associated with Epstein that had nothing to do with Epstein's conduct,'' O'Reilly said last week. The disgraced former Fox News star added at the time that 'you can't destroy a human being by putting out the files, whatever they may be.' He then suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been under fire for signing off on the DOJ memo after previously claiming she was in possession of the 'client list,' should hold a press conference with Garland and address the Epstein case head-on. During an appearance on Vittert's NewsNation program on Monday night, O'Reilly argued that the Epstein saga had become a distraction for the president but that it wasn't to the point that Trump should be worried that it would fracture his MAGA coalition. He also reiterated his suggestion for a joint Bondi-Garland presser. 'Hold a press conference and invite former General Garland,' O'Reilly stated. 'If he doesn't come there, put an empty chair with his picture on it because Garland had the information that the Trump people had for four years.' He continued: 'This is more of a mystery than it is a crisis. I disagree with the word 'crisis.' I don't think it's a crisis for the country. It may be a political detriment to the Republican Party and Donald Trump.' Vittert, meanwhile, brought up House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' recent push to force the administration's hand on releasing the Epstein files, which is part of Democrats' attempts to take advantage of the MAGA backlash over the memo. House Republicans, meanwhile, have already blocked a Democratic effort to compel Bondi to compile and release all Epstein-related documents within 30 days. An irate O'Reilly, meanwhile, raged about 'how disingenuous' Jeffries was for saying Trump is 'trying to hide something' because the Biden administration was in possession of the same documents and evidence related to Epstein as the current administration. At the same time, though, O'Reilly confidently asserted that the deceased sex offender had been prosecuted and found guilty by Biden's DOJ – despite Epstein dying a year-and-a-half before the 46th president took office. 'This is what infuriates me about these people! Jeffries knew the Biden administration had exactly the same thing the Trump administration has on Epstein. Exactly! Because Epstein was convicted during the Biden administration,' O'Reilly exclaimed. As the one-time O'Reilly Factor host continued to rail against 'phony' Jeffries for not demanding the release of additional information related to Epstein during Biden's term, Vittert eventually stopped the conservative pundit in his tracks over his obviously false assertion. 'Hold on, Bill! You said Epstein was convicted during the Biden administration. Epstein committed suicide during the Trump administration,' the NewsNation anchor noted. 'Yeah, so?!' O'Reilly indignantly retorted. 'How do you convict a guy that is dead?' Vittert wondered. O'Reilly went on to insist that Epstein was 'convicted under Merrick Garland's Justice Department' and then 'incarcerated' before killing himself in jail, prompting Vittert to explain that his guest had his facts completely wrong. 'Bill, I think this is important,' the On Balance host noted. 'He was arrested in 2019, and he committed suicide in 2019. He died August 10, 2019. So the Biden administration was not involved in a conviction or a trial of him. They were with his madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.' Acknowledging that Vittert made a 'good point of clarification,' O'Reilly proceeded to double down and once again claimed that Garland was responsible for indicting Epstein in 2019, leading Vittert to point out one more time that this was incorrect. 'No! Under Trump! Epstein was arrested, indicted and committed suicide under Trump in 2019. Trump was president. Merrick Garland was not the attorney general,' Vittert said as a visibly confused O'Reilly let the information sink in. 'Ok. I stand corrected,' O'Reilly finally relented. After coming to grips that Garland wasn't involved in the arrest and indictment of Epstein in 2019, he pivoted back to grumbling that Jeffries didn't call for the public release of Epstein's case files when Biden was president.
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Justice Dept. to Take Narrow Approach to Prosecuting Corporate Bribery Abroad
The Justice Department has closed about half of its open investigations into bribery by U.S. businesses overseas, but plans to initiate prosecutions to more narrowly focus on misconduct that hurts the country's capacity to compete with foreign companies, officials said on Tuesday. President Trump signed an executive order in February pausing all of the department's investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, pending a review of enforcement policies by Todd Blanche, the department's No. 2 official. Good government groups criticized the freeze as the elimination of guardrails needed to prevent corporate abuses. The move coincided with the closing of investigations into the aircraft manufacturer Bombardier and the medical device maker Stryker, among others. But Mr. Blanche, in a statement, said the decision was made to align enforcement of the act with the administration's broader goal of increasing U.S. leverage against foreign businesses and governments, by 'shifting prosecutorial resources to cases that clearly implicate U.S. national security and competitiveness.' Mr. Blanche, a former criminal defense lawyer for Mr. Trump, accused the Biden administration under Attorney General Merrick B. Garland of opening too many cases, 'burdening companies' and damaging national interests. Critics said the new guidelines were a dangerous reversal that abandoned major investigations, including a deal the Justice Department struck in May with Boeing that spared the company from taking criminal responsibility for deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. Many families of the victims vigorously opposed the agreement. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Credibility crisis: Press dismissed Hur report on Biden's memory issues long before concerns became undeniable
The press spun, obfuscated and outright dismissed Special Counsel Robert Hur's early 2024 report that stated then-President Joe Biden came off as an elderly man with memory issues well before his declining state emerged as an acceptable topic in the legacy media. Hur, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Biden's handling of classified documents, famously concluded he would not bring charges against the then-president, in part because a jury would find him to be a "sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory." A new book detailing the former president's mental acuity concerns while in office, his prostate cancer diagnosis and the recently-released audio recordings of Biden's interview with Hur reinvigorated the notion that mental acuity concerns were valid. But when the Hur report was initially released in February 2024, months prior to Biden's disastrous presidential debate performance, it made his cognitive decline impossible for the press to ignore, and much of the media rushed to Biden's defense. Hur acknowledged the documents were "willfully" obtained by Biden both as vice president and as a senator, but revealed Biden had a "hazy" memory of when he was previously in office and when his son Beau died. Liberal pundits were often in lockstep to insist the report featured "gratuitous" language or was "editorialized," and Biden attacked reporters who dared to question if he was fit for the job at a last-minute White House press conference following the release of the damning report. Some reporters in the room vexed Biden by asking about his memory and concerns about his age, but left-leaning pundits were in damage-control mode. Jim Acosta, at the time an anchor for CNN, wondered aloud if Hur's assessment was "out of bounds," while CNN commentator Paul Begala peddled claims from Biden officials saying the president was "totally focused" and "very sharp." Jeffrey Toobin appeared on CNN to scold Hur for making "unnecessary points" about Biden's advanced age. "Part of that report was an outrage, it was a disgrace. I mean, the idea that they that he would make such a big point of Biden being elderly is not something a prosecutor needed to do," Toobin said. A panel of MSNBC hosts defended Biden by attacking Hur for injecting "ageism" into his report. "Do you want to get into the age thing? Let's call it what it is. This is ageism snuck into a report clearing the person of any wrongdoing," MSNBC host Ari Melber told viewers during the network's primetime coverage of the breaking news. "If you want to get the ageism, young people are told all the time by their lawyers, 'Hey, you're way better off leaning into I don't recall than possibly misstating something to a federal officer or under oath in this case.' So it's a lot of derogatory stuff," Melber continued. "And I do think, and I want to be clear, a credit to the president that he chose to do fast cooperation. I think that's good for the system. Politically, though, it's now being used against him." His MSNBC colleague Chris Hayes insisted Hur was "frustrated and angry" that he "didn't get more" from his probe into Biden, turning to how age is the "central narrative question here that this all revolves around." "Age is not something you can rebut," Hayes said. "The man is 80 years old… He is the age he is, And so it's a very useful political attack for them." "He rides a bike!" host Rachel Maddow interjected. MSNBC host Katie Phang slammed the "inflammatory, unnecessary and partisan" language used in the report, while network contributor Molly Jong-Fast suggested Hur wasn't a "good faith actor." "He's not a neurologist," Jong-Fast said. Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer complained at the time that the Hur report was a "partisan hit job." CNN's media reporter at the time, Oliver Darcy, insisted that Hur's depiction of Biden's mental state "didn't match reality." The New York Times went with the "Republicans pounce" framing when covering Biden's reported memory issues and ex-MSNBC host Keith Olbermann raged that Hur "should be fired immediately" for offering an "amateur medical opinion." The media lined up high-profile Democrats to defend Biden, too. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" to bash the report as "gratuitous, unnecessary and inaccurate personal remarks." MSNBC's Jen Psaki, a former Biden press secretary, invited then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., onto her program to say Hur would be "disciplined or fired" if he were a typical prosecutor. "What he did was quite deliberate and destructive and also just plain false," Schiff said as Psaki nodded along. Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said on CNN, "It was extremely gratuitous, unnecessary and just a political potshot." Journalist Drew Holden posted a lengthy social media thread last week detailing other examples of the media attacking Hur's report, including then-NBC News host Chuck Todd telling viewers it played into the "right-wing noise machine" and USA Today rounding up "sympathetic voices" to dismiss the findings. Holden also put a spotlight on The Washington Post, citing experts who insisted memory losses "are surprisingly normal" and a New York Times report that said Biden appeared "clearheaded" aside from fumbling a few dates. Many longtime Biden allies have since come around after audio obtained by Axios contained clips from several interviews between Biden and Hur related to the probe. On CNN, host Abby Phillip suggested Hur "undersold" the extent of Biden's decline and threw the former president and the Democratic Party "a lifeline." "In a way, Robert Hur kind of undersold this," Phillip said. "He kind of threw Joe Biden a lifeline. It was an opportunity, actually, for Democrats to take it seriously, maybe change gears at that point, maybe give a potential nominee more time." Former Obama spokesperson and political commentator Tommy Vietor wrote last week that critics of Hur's report "weren't totally fair." "[T]he book made me realize how important that context was for Hur in explaining his decision NOT to charge Biden, and I now feel that many of the attacks on Hur, including by me, weren't totally fair," Vietor wrote. He added that he still believed the situation around Biden's memory was "complicated" but that "clearly Biden was experiencing cognitive decline." "The just-released audio clearly shows a guy who should not be running for reelection," Vietor wrote.
