Latest news with #USAttorney'sOffice
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump pick Alina Habba to remain acting NJ US attorney after judges reject her for the post: ‘I don't cower to pressure'
Alina Habba, President Trump's pick to serve as New Jersey US attorney, will continue to serve as the Garden State's top prosecutor despite a panel of judges rejecting her for the post. 'Donald J. Trump is the 47th President. Pam Bondi is the Attorney General. And I am now the Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey,' Habba wrote on X Thursday. 'I don't cower to pressure. I don't answer to politics,' she added. 'This is a fight for justice. And I'm all in.' Habba was tapped by Trump to lead the New Jersey US Attorney's Office in March. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post Habba's stint as New Jersey's interim US attorney was set to expire on Friday. She was tapped for the temporary role by Trump in March – pending permanent approval – and had 120 days to serve as US attorney in an interim capacity. The Garden State's 17 federal judges — mainly appointed by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden — opted against extending Habba's tenure earlier this week and announced the appointment of First Assistant US Attorney in New Jersey Desiree Leigh Grace to lead the office. Grace was subsequently fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said the DOJ would 'not tolerate rogue judges.' A DOJ official explained to multiple outlets Thursday that Trump withdrew Habba's nomination to be the state's US attorney and that she was appointed first assistant US attorney, replacing Grace, and allowing Habba to become acting US attorney of New Jersey. The first assistant attorney becomes acting US attorney if the position is vacant. Habba revealed that she would remain as New Jersey's top prosecutor in an X post. US Attorney Habba, /X The DOJ and New Jersey US Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Habba, Trump's onetime personal attorney, had been blocked from receiving a Senate confirmation hearing by some Democrats in the upper chamber – leaving an extension of her interim status by the state judges or Thursday's workaround as the only options for her to remain New Jersey's top prosecutor. The New Jersey native had garnered the enthusiastic support of the National Troopers Coalition, National Association of Police Organizations and National Police Defense Foundation since being nominated to the post.
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
R.I. judge issues temporary restraining order against HHS and HUD over anti-DEI, transgender restrictions on federal grants
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Lawyers for the coalition argued the restrictions were vague, violated their First Amendment right to free speech, violated the separation of powers, and the departments exceeded their authority. The policies go into effect next week, so the organizations that don't agree will lose their funding. Advertisement Just a half-hour before the Thursday's hearing, HHS changed its policy again, removing the 'Minutes before we stood up here, HHS adopted different language for the grant policy statement that no longer contains the DEI condition,' Assistant US Attorney Kevin Love Hubbard, the chief of the civil division in the US Attorney's Office in Rhode Island, told the court. Advertisement Now, he said, the policy was changed to say that a recipient agrees to comply with 'all federal anti-discrimination laws' in order to receive the federal funds. 'So it's basically: you have to follow federal law to get federal funds, which was the case before," Hubbard said. Kristin Bateman, the senior counsel for Democracy Forward and one of the lawyers representing the coalition, said a temporary restraining order was still necessary because the policy could change again. 'We have an administration that wants to eradicate DEI from the government, from the private sector, and they have threatened to use the False Claims Act as a weapon to go after people who do those things,' Bateman said. 'They have made clear that they think that DEI ... often usually violates Bateman said the administration had made clear its goals were to eradicate DEI measures, and the Department of Justice announced it would also go after DEI. 'It said, 'we're going to use False Claims Act as a 'weapon' ... and we're going to enlist the criminal division, we're going to strongly encourage private plaintiffs,'' Bateman said. 'Literally, anyone can go into court and bring a suit against somebody who is doing DEI or DEIA, and they can claim that was a violation of the certification requirement.' After asking questions about what harms the groups would face, Dubose said she would grant a temporary restraining order. Advertisement 'Obviously, we're living in a time where there are rapidly changing circumstances. Even as we're sitting here, things are changing,' Dubose said. She had some caveats, asking the plaintiffs to narrowly tailor their order for the scope of the injunction to cover those facing 'real irreparable harm,' taking into consideration the changes in HHS policy on Thursday. The order will apply to three divisions under The lawsuit is led by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and includes other Rhode Island organizations: House of Hope Community Development Corporation; Community Care Alliance; Foster Forward; Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness; and Haus of Codec. The coalition also includes California Partnership To End Domestic Violence, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the District Of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Jane Doe Inc. (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault And Domestic Violence), Kansas Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Montana Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, ValorUS, Violence Free Minnesota, Virginia Sexual And Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Deputy AG Todd Blanche will meet with Ghislaine Maxwell within hours, sources say
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will meet with Jeffrey Epstein accomplice and convicted sex pest Ghislaine Maxwell today in Florida, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to The Post. Blanche, the second-in-command at the Justice Department who has served as president Trump's personal lawyer, plans to huddle with the disgraced ex-socialite and her lawyer at the US Attorney's Office in Tallahassee, the sources said. 3 Todd Blanche speaks at a White House press briefing. Ron Sachs/CNP / 3 Mugshot of Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, a disgraced British socialite who was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other crimes, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after a jury convicted her of grooming young girls by serving as Epstein's madam. But amid a renewed outcry for more information on Epstein, Blanche said earlier this week that he'd be meeting with Maxwell to see if she would be willing to reveal more to feds about the late sex offender. 3 Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at a party in NYC on March 15, 2005. Patrick McMullan via Getty Images The DOJ in 2022 expressed doubts that Maxwell could be truthful, accusing her in court papers of a 'significant pattern of dishonest conduct' and failing to take responsibility for her heinous crimes. The feds also disclosed in court papers ahead of her 2021 trial that prosecutors had never seriously entertained working out a plea deal with Maxwell in exchange for her testimony.
1News
a day ago
- 1News
Doctor who supplied Matthew Perry ketamine pleads guilty
A doctor pleaded guilty overnight to giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star's overdose death. Dr. Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry's death to plead guilty. He stood next to his lawyer and admitted guilt to four counts to Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles. Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles. He spoke only to answer the judge's questions. When asked if his lawyers had considered all the possibilities of pleas and sentencing in the case, Plasencia replied, "They've considered everything". "Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry," the doctor's attorney, Debra White, said in an emailed statement after the hearing. "He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr. Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr. Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction." ADVERTISEMENT Dr. Salvador Plasencia leaves federal court on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Source: Associated Press) Plasencia had previously pleaded not guilty, but in exchange for the guilty pleas prosecutors have agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records. Prosecutors outlined the charges in court before the plea, and said that he did not sell Perry the dose that killed the actor. They described, and Plasencia admitted, that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked when the doctor gave him one injection, but Plasencia still left more ketamine for Perry's assistant to inject. In court, Perry was referred to only as "victim MP". The charges can carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and there is no guarantee Plasencia will get less, but he's likely to. He has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest in August, and will be allowed to remain free until his Dec. 3 sentencing. Plasencia left the courthouse with his lawyers without speaking to reporters gathered outside. ADVERTISEMENT "While Dr. Plasencia was not treating Mr. Perry at the time of his death," his lawyer's statement said, "he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and leads to stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry in order to prevent future tragedies like this." The only remaining defendant who has not reached an agreement with the US Attorney's Office is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors allege is a drug dealer known as the "Ketamine Queen" and sold Perry the lethal dose. Her trial is scheduled to begin next month. She has pleaded not guilty. Matthew Perry appears at the premiere of Ride in Los Angeles. (Source: Associated Press) According to prosecutors and co-defendants who reached their own deals, Plasencia illegally supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine starting about a month before his death on October 28, 2023. According to a co-defendant, Plasencia in a text message called the actor a "moron" who could be exploited for money. Perry's personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor all agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation as the government sought to make their case against larger targets, Plasencia and Sangha. None have been sentenced yet. Perry was found dead by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. ADVERTISEMENT The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. Plasencia admitted in his plea agreement that another patient connected him with Perry, and that starting about a month before Perry's death, he illegally supplied the actor with 20 vials of ketamine totalling 100mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes. He admitted to enlisting another doctor, Mark Chavez, to supply the drug for him, according to the court filings. "I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez's plea agreement. After selling the drugs to Perry for US$4500 (NZ$7445) Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry's "go-to," prosecutors said. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Doctor pleads guilty to selling Matthew Perry ketamine in weeks before actor's death
A doctor pleaded guilty Wednesday to giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the 'Friends' star's overdose death. Dr Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry's death to plead guilty. He stood next to his lawyer and admitted guilt to four counts to Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles. Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles. He spoke only to answer the judge's questions. When asked if his lawyers had considered all the possibilities of pleas and sentencing in the case, Plasencia replied, 'They've considered everything.' He had previously pleaded not guilty, but in exchange for the guilty pleas prosecutors have agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records. Prosecutors outlined the charges in court before the plea, and said, as Plasencia's lawyers have emphasised, that he did not sell Perry the dose that killed the actor. They described, and Plasencia admitted, that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked when the doctor gave him one injection, but Plasencia still left more ketamine for Perry's assistant to inject. In court, Perry was referred to only as 'victim MP'. The charges can carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and there is no guarantee Plasencia will get less, but he's likely to. He has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest in August, and will be allowed to remain free until his Dec 3 sentencing. Plasencia left the courthouse with his lawyers without speaking to reporters gathered outside. The only remaining defendant who has not reached an agreement with the US Attorney's Office is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors allege is a drug dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen' and sold Perry the lethal dose. Her trial is scheduled to begin next month. She has pleaded not guilty. According to prosecutors and co-defendants who reached their own deals, Plasencia illegally supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine starting about a month before his death on Oct 28, 2023. According to a co-defendant, Plasencia in a text message called the actor a 'moron' who could be exploited for money. Perry's personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor all agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation as the government sought to make their case against larger targets, Plasencia and Sangha. None have been sentenced yet. Perry was found dead by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him. Plasencia admitted in his plea agreement that another patient connected him with Perry, and that starting about a month before Perry's death, he illegally supplied the actor with 20 vials of ketamine totalling 100 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes. He admitted to enlisting another doctor, Mark Chavez, to supply the drug for him, according to the court filings. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez's plea agreement. After selling the drugs to Perry for $4,500, Plasencia allegedly asked Chavez if he could keep supplying them so they could become Perry's 'go-to,' prosecutors said. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on 'Friends,' when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit.
