The Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, has been granted access to classified documents found in the possession of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence. The documents are expected to provide insight into the activities of the three former officials, and the handling of the documents is under federal investigation. It is unclear what the documents contain, or if they will be made public.
Posts tagged as “The Justice Department”
The Justice Department has asked a federal judge in Washington state to clarify an order that the FDA maintain the availability of the abortion pill in more than a dozen states, in direct opposition to a Texas decision. A coalition of Democratic attorneys general had filed suit to lift restrictions on the drug, and the Justice Department is now seeking clarification on the order. It remains to be seen how the court will respond and how it will affect the availability of the drug in the states involved.
The Department of Justice has filed a request in a federal appeals court to block a ruling from a Trump-appointed judge that would have endangered access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The Biden administration is arguing that the ruling is "extraordinary and unprecedented" and should be stayed pending appeal. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 and it has since become one of the most commonly used abortion pills, used in combination with another drug to terminate a pregnancy.
The Pentagon and US Department of Justice are investigating the leak of classified documents related to Ukraine's war effort and military strength. The documents, which were posted on social media, cover a range of topics from US support for Ukraine to information about key US allies. It is unclear at this time who is responsible for the leak or what the consequences may be.
A federal appeals court panel has ruled in favor of the Justice Department’s use of an obstruction charge against hundreds of defendants arrested in connection with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The ruling affirms the department’s use of the charge and reverses a decision by a Trump appointee, but questions remain about the future of the statute and its impact on the defendants.
The US Department of Justice has reached an agreement in principle to settle a lawsuit over the 2017 mass shooting at a Sutherland Springs, Texas church, providing victims and their families with more than $144 million from the US Treasury’s Judgment Fund. The settlement, which does not require congressional approval, is subject to approval by the US District Court for the Western District of Texas and would be the largest ever paid out of the Judgment Fund and the largest settlement ever paid in a mass shooting case.
Donald Trump has filed an appeal against a court ruling that would force several of his former aides to testify before a grand jury as part of a criminal investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The appeal was filed with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the Justice Department has not commented on the appeal. This is one of several defeats the former president has suffered in his efforts to use executive privilege claims to block the testimony of former aides and allies.
Mike Pence has signaled that he may drop efforts to avoid testifying in the Justice Department's criminal probe into former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election. A federal judge ruled that Pence must comply with a subpoena and testify before the federal grand jury, and Pence has stated that he will obey the law. His testimony could provide important insight into the events of Jan. 6.