Tag: doj

Justice Department Finds ‘Dehumanizing’ Filth and Violence at Atlanta Jail Where Man Died Covered in Bugs

Two years after a mentally ill man died malnourished and covered in insects in Atlanta’s Fulton County Jail, a Justice Department investigation has found that man’s death was only one of a string of fatalities due to pervasive unconstitutional conditions at the jail.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division released a report Thursday concluding that the Fulton County Jail, which handles pre-trial detention for most of Atlanta, subjects incarcerated people to pest infestations and malnourishment, excessive force from correctional officers, and fails to protect them from rampant violence and sexual assaults from other inmates. The report found that these conditions violate the Eighth and 14th Amendments, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Justice Department launched the civil rights investigation in the wake of the 2022 death of Lashawn Thompson. Thompson, a 35-year-old man with schizophrenia, had been incarcerated at the Fulton County Jail for three months on a misdemeanor battery charge when he was found dead in an extremely filthy cell. Thompson’s body was covered in lice, bedbugs, and lesions. An independent autopsy listed his cause of death as “severe neglect,” noting Thompson was suffering from a “severe body insect infestation.”

In a press statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thompson’s “horrific death was symptomatic of a pattern of dangerous and dehumanizing conditions in the Fulton County Jail.”

“The Justice Department’s report concluded that Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office allowed unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Jail,” Garland said. “As a result, people incarcerated in the Fulton County Jail suffered harms from pest infestation and malnourishment and were put at substantial risk of serious harm from violence by other incarcerated people—including homicides, stabbings and sexual abuse.”

Justice Department investigators reported widespread infestations of mice, roaches, bedbugs, lice, and scabies.

In addition to being unsanitary, the jail’s kitchen also fails to adequately feed detainees. The report notes that jail medical staff determined in 2022 that 90 percent of the people in the mental health unit where Thompson died were “significantly malnourished with obvious muscle wasting.”

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History of clashes with ‘deep state’ signals Gaetz would bring Trump reform to DOJ

In Congress, Donald Trump’s Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz was at the forefront in challenging the Justice Department and was a staunch defender of the former president, hinting at the role the firebrand could play in remaking the troubled federal agency if he is confirmed. 

Gaetz rose to prominence defending then-President Trump and bashing the Justice Department during the Russia collusion investigation into the Trump campaign, frequently appearing on television and using his role on key committees to challenge the agency, which pushed the long-debunked “Russian conspiracy” narrative. 

After Trump’s first term ended, the four-term congressman challenged the department on its handling of Hunter Biden probes and the investigation into the Trump assassination attempts. 

President-elect Trump undoubtedly nominated Gaetz for these reasons, seeing him as an important defender and loyal ally to head an agency he felt was undermining him at every turn in his first term. 

But, Gaetz will still likely face a tough confirmation battle and his nomination has drawn skepticism from Senate Republicans who will be vital to confirming him to the role. 

When spurious allegations that the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia were being pushed by Capitol Hill Democrats, Donald Trump’s first attorney general, former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, angered the president when he recused himself and allowed the department to appoint a special counsel to investigate the allegations. 

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Sen. Bill Hagerty Drops Truth Bombs and Obliterates MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell’s Every Left-Wing Narrative

In a must-see appearance on MSNBC, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) went toe-to-toe with Andrea Mitchell, dismantling her far-left narratives with a calm yet relentless barrage of facts.

The former U.S. Ambassador to Japan and staunch Trump ally delivered a masterclass in exposing the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and highlighting the hypocrisy of the left-wing media.

Mitchell, attempting to corner Hagerty on the controversial nomination of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, found herself struggling to keep up as Hagerty systematically dismantled her talking points.

Addressing Gaetz’s nomination, Hagerty didn’t shy away from defending Trump’s bold decision, tying the move directly to the American public’s frustration with the DOJ’s politicization.

Andrea Mitchell:
What is your reaction to Matt Gaetz as Attorney General? Right now, would you support him?

Bill Hagerty:
Listen, Andrea, it’s amazing to me that people are reacting the way they are to what you just showed, because there has been no one better at channeling the American public’s frustration with the weaponization of the Department of Justice than Matt Gaetz. You can understand the President’s frustration with the DOJ.

During his first campaign, they used a fake Clinton dossier to spy on him. Look at what happened in the first Trump administration—this whole fake Russiagate hoax. The DOJ litigated him for years over that.

In 2020, the DOJ went to big tech and had them censor Hunter Biden’s laptop to throw the election toward Joe Biden. Think about what just happened in 2024: the DOJ, with their colleagues around the country, brought five different cases to try President Biden’s top opponent, President Trump. I can understand his frustration in wanting to put an agent of change in place. I’m not surprised at all.

Andrea Mitchell:
I don’t want to litigate everything that happened with Donald Trump because there’s a lot of evidence to support many of the allegations and, in fact, the indictments—Mar-a-Lago, the sloppy intelligence handling.

Bill Hagerty:
I think the American public spoke louder than anybody. They gave him the strongest mandate we’ve seen in 36 years in reaction to all of this.

Andrea Mitchell:
But a Trump-appointed judge cut all of that off, and it wasn’t fully vetted. Let’s just say that was the legal system at work, no question.

Bill Hagerty:
It was not working. It was weaponized.

Mitchell attempted to pivot, bringing up allegations against Gaetz. But Hagerty didn’t flinch, pointing out the media’s fixation on unproven accusations while ignoring the DOJ’s overreach.

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Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden-Harris DOJ to Block Destruction of Jack Smith’s Records Exposing Lawfare Against President Trump

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Paxton’s legal action seeks to secure a preservation order that would block any potential destruction of records from Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit highlights a pattern of record destruction by past special counsels and raises concerns about accountability in a “weaponized” justice system under the Biden-Harris regime.

Paxton initiated the lawsuit following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request he filed, seeking access to documents and communications related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

“Past Special Counsels, including—notoriously—Robert Mueller, destroyed records at the end of their investigations to avoid accountability. It is not clear why nobody was prosecuted for doing so. This request is part of my Office’s efforts to ensure that Americans are not cheated out of accountability or information again. This pattern of weaponizing the justice system for partisan retribution must end,” Ken Paxton said.

The letter reads in part:

“The State of Texas is requesting a waiver of all fees, and meets the criteria per Justice Department policy. This information request is in the public interest, as it will provide critical information for the public understanding of the Office of Special Counsel’s activities.

This request does not serve the commercial interest of the Attorney General’s office. This request is made in the State of Texas’s sovereign capacity. And this FOIA request seeks information that is important for the American people.

FOIA serves as “a means for citizens to know what their Government is up to.” And it provides “a structural necessity in a real democracy.” The Texas Attorney General’s Office frequently updates constituents on important, newsworthy information.

The Office issues press releases, and posts news on its website that is frequently reported on by the press. The information from this FOIA request will significantly contribute to the public’s understanding of the Special Counsel’s investigation, particularly when the subject of that investigation has been elected as the 47th President of the United States.”

Smith, appointed by Garland in November 2022, was tasked with investigating Trump just one day after Trump announced his 2024 presidential bid.

Jack Smith spent over $50 million of taxpayer money to hunt down Trump for non-crimes.

Since then, Smith’s investigation has led to a series of high-profile indictments against Trump.

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IT WAS ALL POLITICAL: DOJ to fire Jack Smith, drop all legal cases against Trump before inauguration

In a shocking turn of events, Fox News is reporting that “Donald Trump’s legal problems have essentially all gone away since he won last night.”

Watch below as it is explained by Fox how the Department of Justice (DOJ) where Special Counsel Jack Smith works “cannot prosecute a sitting president,” adding that Smith “will be gone from his post as special counsel, meaning the cases will be gone before Trump takes the oath of office on January 20.”

All of a sudden, further admitted MSNBC, Smith and the DOJ are seeking to end their cases against Trump because they, too, recognize that there is a longstanding policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.

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DOJ invokes Civil War-era law in warning federal agents not to respond to polling places with guns

In recent days, federal law enforcement agents across the government received a jarring communication from the Justice Department: a warning they could be prosecuted under a Civil War-era law if they respond to an election polling place with guns, even for a fake report of a crime.

The memo from Corey R. Amundson, the chief of DOJ’s Public Integrity Section that oversees election crimes, was dated Oct. 15 and states it was prompted by inquiries about how the government might respond to Election Day violence.

It was brought to the attention of Just the News by a senior law enforcement official and confirmed by multiple federal agents, some who said their immediate bosses offered additional guidance.

“In our role overseeing federal prosecutorial efforts against election crime, the Public Integrity Section, through our Election Crimes Branch, has received inquiries about the legality of having armed federal law enforcement agents at polling places,” Amundson wrote. “Given the potential relevance of this issue to federal law enforcement agencies and the Department of Defense. we thought it prudent to bring to your attention Title 18, United States Code, Section 592.”

“This statute — which has been on existence since 1864 — makes it a felony for a federal official to send armed personnel to an operational polling place for crowd control or other purposes,” the memo added.

DOJ officials and retired agents told Just the News similar communications about the Civil War-era law have been sent out in prior elections, but this year’s memo has gotten more attention internally because of a recent Election Day ISIS terror plot that was thwarted a few weeks ago in Oklahoma and more recent fire bombings of ballot collection boxes in the Northwest.

The current memo cautioned agents that bad actors might try to trick agents into an armed respond to a polling place with a false report of violence.

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Grand Jury Witness Reportedly Hands Over to the Feds Sex Tapes Featuring Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Eight Celebrity ‘Victims’ — Including Two Underage Male Stars

There are main pipelines of stories involving the Sean Diddy Combs prosecution saga.

One is leaks from people inside the DOJ who are leaking like mad. A second is the alleged victims who are filing new suits against Diddy like there’s no tomorrow.

There are also people who are witnesses to the goings-on or who have evidence pertinent to this prosecution.

And now, one such witness has apparently come forward.

A producer from New Jersey says he saw – and was in possession of – a number of sex tapes featuring eight different celebrity victims — including two or three underage male stars.

New York Post reported:

“Courtney Burgess, who testified before a grand jury in Manhattan on Thursday, claimed in an interview with NewsNation’s ‘Banfield’ that he saw six males and two female celebs engaging in sex acts with the disgraced music mogul. Asked how many of the stars appeared to be under the influence or inebriated on the tapes, Burgess alleged, ‘All of them.’”

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Civil Liberties Groups Push DOJ to Probe UK-US Collusion in Online Censorship

America First Legal (AFL) has announced that it has filed a formal complaint, based on new evidence, urging an investigation into the activities of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

This UK-based group has been accused of direct involvement in online censorship, including in the US, notably in the affair around the “naming and shaming” of the supposed Covid “Disinformation Dozen” – which is why the AFL’s complaint has now been submitted to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

The key question that AFL wants to be answered is whether those behind CCDH should be treated as “agents of a foreign principal” who took on the role of stifling free speech in the US.

Such a designation of the group, if confirmed, would be in line with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

We obtained a copy of the request for you here.

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Biden-Harris DOJ Confirms Request to Investigate Elon Musk’s Pro-Trump Election Activity

Former Republican Justice Department and other officials sent a letter Monday to Democratic Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting he open an investigation into billionaire Elon Musk’s cash prizes to registered voters in swing states.

Musk, through his America PAC, is selecting a $1 million lottery winner each day until the election to registered voters who sign a petition saying they support the First and Second Amendments.

The petition signers must be registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.

Musk handed out the first two checks for $1 million at a Donald Trump rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.

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Warden Admits Biden-Harris DOJ Has Illegally Imprisoned Steve Bannon Since October 19

The Tennessee Star on Monday obtained a letter sent by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to attorneys representing Steve Bannon, wherein the federal agency acknowledged it is holding the former White House chief strategist in violation of the First Step Act (FSA) of 2018, as Bannon accrued 10 days of good time credit toward an early release:

To date, Mr. Bannon has earned 10 First Step Act (“FSA”) time credits. These credits would typically be applied toward early transfer to supervision pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 3624 (g) (3). However, Mr. Bannon does not have a term of supervision following his term of imprisonment. Thus, his 10 FSA time credits can only be applied toward prerelease custody placement in a Residential Reentry Center or on home confinement.”

According to attorney R. Trent McCotter, who represents Bannon, “Those credits mean that Mr. Bannon could have been released to home confinement two days ago on October 19, 2024 (i.e., 10 days before the end of his sentence) – yet the BOP declined to do so, citing its view that there is ‘insufficient time’ remaining on Mr. Bannon’s sentence ‘to process’ the referral to home confinement.”

Bannon’s attorneys filed the letter as part of an effort to secure an earlier release but it was sent to Bannon’s lawyers by the Acting Warden at the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) in Danbury, Connecticut, where Bannon is serving a four-month sentence after he was convicted in 2022 for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena from the House select committee that investigated January 6.

Acting Warden Darek Puzio said that “Mr. Bannon has earned 10 First Step Act (“FSA”) time credits,” which the warden additionally acknowledged “would typically be applied toward early transfer to supervision,” but noted that Bannon was not sentenced to any form of supervised release.

According to Puzio, this means Bannon can only use his credits, which the BOP typically calls good time credits, to secure a transfer to home confinement for the remainder of his sentence. However, the federal official claimed there is insufficient time left in Bannon’s sentence to arrange this and that the BOP department responsible for such arrangements “will not accept placements under 30 days.”

While confirming FCI Danbury and the BOP are willfully ignoring the good time credit accrued by Bannon, the warden nonetheless acknowledged the former Trump adviser “will be released on his full-term release date of October 29, 2024.”

In a legal filing containing the letter, Bannon’s attorneys argued that Puzio’s admission means the court should order Bannon “released immediately.”

This acknowledgment by Puzio and the BOP follows last week’s statement by Bannon that the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) was illegally holding him through its abandonment of the landmark civil justice reform signed into law by former President Donald Trump.

“The Harris Bureau of Prisons is illegally holding me past my legal release date–trying to eliminate one of President Trump’s strongest advocates–these criminals reek of desperation,” said Bannon in a statement last week to The National Pulse.

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