Justice Department

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

In First Court Appearance, Comey Pleads Not Guilty

Former FBI director appears in Virginia courthouse to answer charges that he lied to Congress

(Newser) - Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to face a criminal case that has thrown a spotlight on the Justice Department's efforts to target adversaries of President Trump. The arraignment is expected to be brief, reports the AP , but the moment is nonetheless loaded with significance,...

Woman's Amazon Order May Have Contained Voting Surprise

Maine investigating claim that missing absentee ballots ended up in resident's package

(Newser) - Authorities in Maine are investigating an allegation that dozens of unmarked ballots to be used in this November's election arrived inside a woman's Amazon order. The town of Ellsworth reported to the state last week that it was missing a shipment of 250 absentee ballots, Secretary of State...

Iowa Schools Chief Resigns After ICE Arrest

Des Moines schools chief Ian Roberts steps down as federal probe looks at district hiring practices

(Newser) - The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Roberts, has resigned following his arrest last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which alleges he was living and working in the country without legal status. Roberts, originally from Guyana and a former Olympic runner, has led the district since 2023...

James Comey, Long a Target of Trump's, Faces Charges

Indictment accuses former FBI director of making a false statement and obstruction

(Newser) - James Comey was charged Thursday with making a false statement and obstruction in a criminal case filed days after President Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies. The unprecedented indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official to...

Report: Feds Are Seeking Quick Comey Indictment

The statute of limitations runs out next Tuesday

(Newser) - The Justice Department is reportedly gearing up to indict former FBI chief James Comey, with prosecutors alleging he misled Congress about his role in the 2016 election interference probe. Sources familiar with the case tell the Washington Post and MSNBC the move is tied to Comey's 2020 Senate...

Recording Seemed to Catch Border Chief Accepting Bribe

Trump administration halted investigation of Tom Homan, who wasn't in government at the time

(Newser) - After appearing to be caught on audio tape accepting $50,000 from undercover agents, US border czar Tom Homan became the target of a federal bribery probe—until the Trump administration shut the investigation down, citing lack of evidence. Homan was being considered for a senior immigration role in...

DOJ Weighs Firearm Ban for Transgender Americans

Officials consider linking transgender status to gun restrictions over mental health

(Newser) - The Justice Department has started internal discussions about whether transgender individuals should be barred from owning firearms, according to sources familiar with the matter. These conversations began after the Aug. 27 shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, in which a 23-year-old transgender shooter killed two children and wounded close...

Report: DOJ Launches Fraud Probe of Fed Governor

Lisa Cook investigation follows Trump-backed claims of mortgage application fraud

(Newser) - The Justice Department has launched a fraud probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, following accusations that she falsified documents to secure a mortgage, sources tell the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal . The investigation, still in the early stages, involves the issuing of subpoenas and focuses...

After 13 Years, Feds End Oversight of Seattle PD

City's police department is 'a different department' than it used to be

(Newser) - A federal judge has ended more than a decade of Justice Department oversight of the Seattle Police Department, marking the conclusion of a long-running consent decree that began after findings of excessive force and racial bias within the department. The 13-year oversight, ordered in 2012 following the fatal shooting...

Mail Fraud Inspector Charged With Mail Fraud

Investigators say he diverted cash from nearly 2K intercepted packages

(Newser) - A former US postal fraud investigator is accused of pocketing more than $330,000 from scam victims he was supposed to protect, allegedly using the stolen cash for personal indulgences including home upgrades, luxury trips, and escorts, Fox News reports. Federal prosecutors allege that Scott Kelley, 51, of Massachusetts,...

DOJ Staffer Canned by Bondi After Alleged Obscene Gesture

Paralegal Elizabeth Baxter was accused of flipping the bird at National Guard members in DC

(Newser) - A paralegal specialist for the Justice Department has been terminated directly by Attorney General Pam Bondi, after the staffer was accused of giving the finger to a group of National Guard members in DC for the federal government's ostensible crackdown on crime in that city. Per NBC News , Elizabeth...

Judge Orders First Refund for Pardoned Capitol Rioter

He says government has no right to keep $2K in restitution paid by Yvonne St. Cyr

(Newser) - A federal judge has granted a refund of more than $2,200 to a Capitol rioter whose conviction was wiped away by a presidential pardon—marking the first time a Jan. 6 defendant has recouped fines after President Trump's blanket pardon. US District Judge John Bates, who presided...

Panel Subpoenas Epstein Estate for Client List, Birthday Book

House committee seeks records on associates, finances, and possible coverups

(Newser) - The House Oversight Committee on Monday issued a sweeping subpoena to the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, demanding to see any client lists the disgraced financier may have had, as well as a leather-bound "birthday book" reportedly put together by Ghislaine Maxwell and containing messages from high-profile associates. The...

Undocumented Students in Texas See Tuition Soar

Trump administration hopes to make this an issue far beyond the state

(Newser) - As a new school year begins, thousands of undocumented college students in Texas are facing soaring tuition bills under a fast-tracked deal between state leaders and the Trump administration to scrap their in-state tuition. Now, the same tactic may be used in other states, reports the Washington Post . In...

Giuffre's Family Rips DOJ, Maxwell Interview

Accuser's family says transcripts allow convict to 'rewrite history'

(Newser) - The family of Virginia Giuffre has criticized the Justice Department for releasing transcripts of its interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, saying it gave Jeffrey Epstein's imprisoned accomplice a "platform to rewrite history" and undermine the voices of survivors like Giuffre. "The content of these transcripts is in...

Judge Rules Alina Habba Lacks Legal Authority as US Attorney

Ruling disqualifies Trump's former lawyer from handling New Jersey cases

(Newser) - A federal judge ruled Thursday that Alina Habba, whom President Trump appointed as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor by using a loophole, has been acting without legal authority—throwing the state's federal courts into deeper turmoil. "Because she is not currently qualified to exercise the functions...

White House Rolls Back Protections for English Learners

Advocates warn move could weaken support in public schools

(Newser) - The Education Department has quietly rolled back key rules requiring schools to support students learning English, a move that has raised concerns among advocates for the nation's roughly 5 million school-aged English learners, the Washington Post reports. The department confirmed Tuesday that the guidance, originally established in 2015,...

Judge Keeps Epstein Transcripts Under Wraps

Manhattan judge says government's request appears to be a 'diversion' from files held by DOJ

(Newser) - A Manhattan judge has refused to unseal grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case. On Wednesday, Judge Richard Berman declined the government's request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the disgraced financier's 2019 sex trafficking prosecution, the New York Times reports. Berman ruled that the government...

Justice Dept. Is Taking a Look at DC's Crime Stats

DOJ is investigating the accuracy of reported crime drops in nation's capital

(Newser) - The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into whether the police department in Washington, DC, manipulated crime statistics to make the city appear safer, according to sources familiar with the case. The probe, which is being run by the federal prosecutor's office in DC, puts local officials...

DOJ Pledges to Turn Over First Epstein Files This Week

Panel's deadline was Tuesday, and Democrats say the the department isn't in full compliance

(Newser) - The Justice Department has notified Congress it will start releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein as soon as Friday, according to Republican Rep. James Comer. The Kentucky Republican, who chairs a House Oversight subcommittee, said the DOJ committed to begin providing records the panel had subpoenaed, the Washington Post...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser