A federal judge in Austin, Texas is set to consider the legality of a floating barrier installed by Texas in the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. The Justice Department has argued that the barrier is a violation of international law and should be removed, while the state of Texas has argued that the barrier is necessary to protect the border and deter illegal crossings. The outcome of the case could have implications for the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Posts tagged as “The Justice Department”
The House Ways and Means Committee, led by Republican Representative Jason Smith, has subpoenaed two senior IRS officials and four other IRS and FBI officials to testify before Congress about an October 2022 meeting. The investigation is related to the Justice Department's investigation into Hunter Biden and the committee has requested documents and communications related to the meeting. The two IRS officials subpoenaed are Michael Batdorf and Darrell Waldon, while the four other officials have yet to be identified.
The House Freedom Caucus has declared that they will not support a temporary spending bill unless it includes language on border security, new laws to address the “weaponization” of the Justice Department and FBI, and a shift in some of the Pentagon’s policies. This announcement has increased the chances of a government shutdown, as the provisions they are demanding are likely to be opposed by Senate Democrats and the White House. The Freedom Caucus has been a powerful force in the House since 2015, and their latest statement makes it clear that they will not support any bill that does not include their demands.
Federal prosecutors have filed court documents seeking lengthy prison sentences for four former Proud Boys leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The sentences, if imposed, would be among the longest ever handed down in a case related to the Capitol attack. The sentencing hearings for the five defendants are scheduled to begin in July.
Abigail Jo Shry of Texas was arrested last week and charged with sending a threatening and racist voicemail to the federal judge assigned to the Justice Department's election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The voicemail included threats to kill the judge, who is Black, as well as other Democratic leaders. Shry faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of making a threat against a federal judge. The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
A federal appeals court has upheld parts of a decision limiting access to the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. The ruling agreed with a lower court that the Food and Drug Administration's moves since 2016 to relax the rules for mifepristone's use should be reversed, but declined to suspend the underlying approval of the medication. The decision is a victory for abortion opponents, but the Justice Department is expected to appeal the decision and the case is expected to continue to make its way through the courts.
Former President Donald Trump and 18 of his associates have been indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia on 41 counts of election fraud, racketeering, and other charges related to their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to unlawfully change the outcome of the election by engaging in a "sweeping conspiracy" to subvert the will of the people. It is the latest in a series of legal actions taken against the former president and his associates since he left office in January.
Mike Pence expressed his support for the newly appointed Hunter Biden special counsel, U.S. Attorney David Weiss, on "Meet the Press" Sunday. Pence accused federal law enforcement officials of pushing a "political agenda" under the Trump administration and vowed to "clean house" if elected president in 2024. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed her disapproval of the appointment, despite a group of 31 Senate Republicans asking for Weiss to be appointed to oversee the probe.