Latest news with #Weaponization
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scarborough: Bondi ordering probe of Obama administration ‘extraordinarily stupid'
MSNBC pundit Joe Scarborough tore into President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi over her opening of a grand jury investigation into how Obama administration officials handled intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election. 'It's extraordinarily stupid on so many counts,' Scarborough said. 'If you look at the timeline, the timeline doesn't add up. It's like when Donald Trump is saying that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton created the Epstein files. No, no, no, no. That all happened during Donald Trump's first term.' Former President Obama, Scarborough said, had 'nothing to do with' intelligence investigations around the time of the 2016 election. 'You look at the timeline here about what happened and when it happened, Barack Obama had nothing to do with this, by anybody's accounts, and especially by the Senate Republican Intelligence Committee run by Marco Rubio, who afterwards said that it was Donald Trump's 2016 campaign that created a 'grave intelligence counterintelligence threat to the United States of America,'' the pundit continued. 'That was Marco Rubio, the current secretary of State. That was every Republican on the Senate Intel Committee after poring through all of the documents,' he continued. 'That's what they found.' Bondi said Monday that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard 'exposed clear and blatant weaponization by corrupt intelligence officials acting at the behest of the Democrat Party and likely former President Obama' before the 2016 election. The accusations by Trump and his top officials led to a rare statement from Obama calling the comments a 'distraction.' Scarborough is a longtime critic of Trump, who took some heat from progressives for traveling to Mar-A-Lago after the 2024 election to meet with the president in an effort, he said at the time, 'to restart communications,' with the administration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US DOJ to open grand jury probe into Obama officials, source says
WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to launch a grand jury probe into allegations that members of Democratic former President Barack Obama's administration manufactured intelligence on Russia's interference in the 2016 elections, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. The Justice Department said late last month it was forming a strike force to assess claims made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard about "alleged weaponization of the U.S. intelligence community." Republican U.S. President Donald Trump has leaped on comments from Gabbard in which she threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the Justice Department for prosecution over an intelligence assessment of Russian interference. Fox News first reported that Bondi personally ordered an unnamed federal prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings and the prosecutor is expected to present department evidence to a grand jury, which could consider an indictment if the Justice Department pursued a criminal case. The report cited a letter from Bondi and a source. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment. Last month, Trump accused Obama of treason, alleging, without providing evidence, that the Democrat led an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump won the 2016 election against Democrat Hillary Clinton. A spokesperson for Obama had denounced Trump's claims, saying "these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction." Gabbard had declassified documents and said the information she released showed a "treasonous conspiracy" in 2016 by top Obama officials to undermine Trump, claims that Democrats called false and politically motivated. An assessment by the U.S. intelligence community published in January 2017 concluded that Russia, using social media disinformation, hacking, and Russian bot farms, sought to damage Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and bolster Trump, who won that election. The assessment determined the actual impact was likely limited and showed no evidence that Moscow's efforts actually changed voting outcomes. Russia has denied it attempted to interfere in U.S. elections.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's DOJ Adds Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter to Its Retribution Team
A former FBI agent accused of inciting Donald Trump supporters to kill police officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has been given a job in the Department of Justice. Jared Wise, who was charged but later pardoned by Trump along with more than 1,500 others connected to the 2021 Capitol riot, will serve as a counselor to Ed Martin, director of the 'Weaponization Working Group,' The New York Times reported. The newly formed group, established by Attorney General Pam Bondi in February, was tasked with reviewing 'politicized' actions against Trump but has been accused of being another example of the president using federal agencies for retribution against his political enemies. Martin was put in charge of the weaponization group in May after his nomination for the top U.S. attorney post in Washington, D.C., was pulled because he spent years defending and even raising money for Jan. 6 defendants. It's unclear what specific role Wise, who worked as an FBI agent and supervisor between 2004 and 2017, will have while working for Martin. One unnamed source told the Times that if the Weaponization Working Group could 'genetically design an adviser' for Martin, that person would look like Wise. One of the tasks Bondi assigned to the group is examining whether there were any 'unethical prosecutions' related to the Jan. 6 attack. The group will also investigate any alleged 'weaponization' of prosecutions brought by federal and state prosecutors involving Trump. The DOJ indicted Wise over his alleged role in the Jan. 6 attack in June 2023. Wise, of Bend, Oregon, was charged with multiple offenses, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers. Police camera footage showed Wise yelling at officers, 'You're disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo,' during the chaos at the Capitol. When rioters began attacking police officers and knocking them to the ground, Wise allegedly incited further violence by repeatedly shouting, 'Kill 'em,' according to the indictment. Wise has denied the charges against him and claimed in July 2024 court filings that he was the victim of 'selective prosecution, selective enforcement, and vindictive prosecution.' Wise was on trial in Washington when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. One of the president's first acts of his second term was to pardon or grant commutations to more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the Capitol riot, including some of the most violent offenders. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
CNN
28-05-2025
- 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.
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Trump drops order against law firm after it pledges $40 million in legal services
Trump drops order against law firm after it pledges $40 million in legal services Show Caption Hide Caption Protests erupt over President Donald Trump's policies Demonstrators across the U.S. protested President Donald Trump's executive actions at state capitals nationwide. President Donald Trump agreed to withdraw an executive order targeting law firm Paul Weiss' contracts and employee security clearances in exchange for a series of commitments from the firm, including dedicating $40 million of free legal services to "mutually agreed projects," Trump announced. The March 14 executive order commanded agency heads to suspend security clearances for the firm's lawyers and threatened to snatch away government contracts for firm clients. Paul Weiss is the third law firm targeted by Trump since late February. The pattern has sparked concerns among free speech advocates and legal observers about the independence of law firms under the new administration. For some, Paul Weiss' agreement, announced late Thursday in a Trump post on Truth Social, heightened those concerns. "This Paul Weiss capitulation is the most disgraceful action by a major law firm in my lifetime, so appalling that I couldn't believe it at first," posted lawyer George Conway, a prominent Republican-turned-Independent Trump critic, on X. Why executive order threatened Paul Weiss business In targeting Paul Weiss, the March 14 executive order cited its former hire of ex-New York prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who wrote in a letter published in the New York Times in 2022 that Trump was "guilty of numerous felony violations." The letter was written before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg secured an indictment – and later a conviction – against Trump on charges of falsifying business records. Trump has appealed the conviction. 'The President is agreeing to this action in light of a meeting with Paul, Weiss Chairman, Brad Karp, during which Mr. Karp acknowledged the wrongdoing of former Paul, Weiss partner, Mark Pomerantz, the grave dangers of Weaponization, and the vital need to restore our System of Justice," a White House statement accompanying Trump's Thursday announcement said. The executive order marked a significant potential threat to the firm's business. Trump ordered agency heads to require government contractors to disclose any business they do with Paul Weiss and whether that business is related to the contract's subject – suggesting the administration may cancel contracts for some of Weiss' clients, not just any direct contracts with the firm. Other firm clients or potential clients may have also feared an association with the firm would bring them in the government's crosshairs. One client of the firm, former legal executive of Cognizant Technology Solutions Steven Schwartz, decided to terminate the firm as defense legal counsel due to the executive order, the firm said in a Wednesday court filing. Pattern of law firm targeting Trump also suspended security clearances on Feb. 25 for lawyers at Covington & Burling who helped former special counsel Jack Smith. Smith secured two indictments against Trump but dropped the charges after Trump won the 2024 election. In a March 6 executive order, Trump targeted security clearances and contracts for law firm Perkins Coie, which has filed a lawsuit alleging the executive order is unconstitutional. A Washington, D.C. federal judge issued a temporary restraining order March 12 halting several restrictions in the order. The executive orders targeting Perkins Coie and Paul Weiss also stated that the administration objected to what it described as diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at the firms. Trump suggested Paul Weiss acceded to the administration's demands on that front as part of its agreement. "Paul, Weiss affirms its commitment to merit-based hiring, promotion, and retention, and will not adopt, use, or pursue any DEI policies," according to Trump's announcement. "As part of its commitment, it will engage experts, to be mutually agreed upon within 14 days, to conduct a comprehensive audit of all of its employment practices." A spokesperson for Paul Weiss didn't immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. According to Trump's Truth Social post, Paul Weiss Chairman Brad Karp said of the agreement, 'We are gratified that the President has agreed to withdraw the Executive Order concerning Paul, Weiss. We look forward to an engaged and constructive relationship with the President and his Administration.'
