Justice Department's independence is threatened as Trump's team asserts power over cases and staff

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 8:10 AM EST, February 16, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — Pam Bondi had insisted at her Senate confirmation hearing that as attorney general, her Justice Department would not “play politics.” Yet in the month since the Trump administration took over the building, a succession of actions has raised concerns the department is doing exactly that.

Top officials have demanded the names of thousands of FBI agents who investigated the Capitol riot, sued a state attorney general who had won a massive fraud verdict against Donald Trump before the 2024 election, and ordered the dismissal of a criminal case against New York Mayor Eric Adams by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.

Even for a department that has endured its share of scandals, the moves have produced upheaval not seen in decades, tested its independence and rattled the foundations of an institution that has long prided itself on being driven solely by facts, evidence and the law. As firings and resignations mount, the unrest raises the question of whether a president who raged against his own Justice Department during his first term can succeed in bending it to his will in his second.

“We have seen now a punishing ruthlessness that acting department leadership and the attorney general are bringing to essentially subjugate the workforce to the wishes and demands of the administration, even when it’s obvious” that some of the decisions have all the signs “of corrupting the criminal justice system,” said retired federal prosecutor David Laufman, a senior department official across Democratic and Republican administrations.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/fbi-justice-department-trump-bondi-bove-adams-a003af9d9aebe89cd289361a65c9401b

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. This is no surprise.

He's doing what he accused the Biden DoJ of doing.

[Evolve Dammit]

2. Pam lied under oath. Oh wait, that's a requirement now. Hope her gold cross fools St. Peter. Not. Turn around M'aam

[Butterflylady]

3. Fetterman was the only democrat that voted for her.....

The rest of democrats saw right through her.

[relogic]

4. Just shocked...

I tell you that a twice impeached president, 34 count felon, Russian asset allowed first to run and then coup his way into the once honorable office twice of the POTUS would ever undermine the DOJ assigning other destructive mechanisms to an appointed oligarch running amuck, wrecking the very fabric of our Constitutional government at a pace within three weeks, gaslighting with every utterance to misdirect and decimate truth. Just so much shock I tell you that Teslas mean “combustion” in MAGAlese.

[Deminpenn]

5. Most corrupt AG since John Mitchell

nt

[republianmushroom]

6. I wonder, is this political ?

[Seeking Serenity]

7. When has the DoJ ever been an "independent" agency? How does that even work?

The attorney general is a Cabinet position and is appointed by the president. She reports and is answerable to the president. She serves at his pleasure. Just like Merrick Garland and Eric Holder did. Unlike in most states, the office of attorney general is not a constitutional or an elected office. Moreover, senior Justice Dept positions are also appointed by the president.

Has the Congress ever tried to declare it by statute to be an entity independent of the president? Would that even be constitutional? Who would the AG be answerable to? It couldn't be the Congress (separation of powers).

I have questions.