Tag: doj

The ABA Wants The White House’s Receipts On The Biglaw Executive Orders

In 2025, Steve Bannon said the quiet part out loud, on his own podcast, when it came to the Trump administration’s goals when issuing (unconstitutional) executive orders aimed at Biglaw firms. Bannon said of the targeted firms, “What we are trying to do is put you out of business and bankrupt you.” Now the ABA wants to know how much of that he was really involved with.

In a Tuesday filing in American Bar Association v. Executive Office of the President, the ABA asked U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to force the White House to hand over internal communications, including those involving Bannon and Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s personal senior counsel. According to reporting, Epshteyn connected two firms that struck deals with the administration, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden, with the Commerce Department on matters related to U.S. trade negotiations.

The ABA sued the administration back in June 2025, arguing that the executive orders, plus the wave of “deals” that spooked firms into capitulating before an order ever came for them, amounted to a coordinated policy, not isolated grievances against a handful of firms. As noted when the suit was first filed, the ABA had reason to worry about standing before it ever got to the merits, given this particular Supreme Court’s track record on associational standing.

Those worries didn’t pan out, at least not yet. In April, Judge Ali rejected the DOJ’s motion to dismiss, finding the ABA had plausibly alleged a real threat of retaliation and a documented chilling effect on its members, including instances of firms declining pro bono work seen as adverse to the administration. That ruling is what put the case into the discovery fight now playing out over Bannon, Epshteyn, and the rest of the internal White House record.

The underlying grievance predates the ABA suit by months, of course. Four firms — Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, and Susman Godfrey — fought their individual executive orders in court and won, repeatedly, sweeping the district court level on First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment grounds. Nine other firms didn’t fight, cutting deals worth roughly $940 million in pro bono commitments to Trump-approved causes instead. And DOJ’s posture toward the winning firms has been anything but consistent: in March, the department dropped its appeals of those district court losses, only to reverse course about two weeks later and go back to defending the orders, this time citing the nine capitulating firms as proof the policy worked exactly as designed.

The DOJ, as you’d expect, does not want to produce any of this. The government has argued the requests raise separation-of-powers concerns and are overbroad, and last week, it asked a federal court in New York to block the ABA from deposing Epshteyn altogether. Whether that gambit works is now Judge Ali’s problem; DOJ’s response to the ABA’s Tuesday brief is due July 17.

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Newsom Lashes Out at Trump When asked About Federal Investigation Into Wife Jennifer Newsom

California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out at President Trump and the Trump DOJ when asked about the federal investigation into his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Last month, Newsom fumed as he announced the corruption probe had expanded, and he and his wife are now under investigation.

Newsom said federal agents have contacted people and organizations close to him and his wife, Jennifer Newsom.

People close to the Newsoms have been subpoenaed for records, according to the governor.

According to Semafor, there are several investigations related to Newsom and they are focused on Jennifer Newsom’s taxes (+ his chief of staff).

Contrary to Newsom’s claims, the investigations did not originate from main DOJ in DC, but are out of Sacramento and involve whistleblowers, Semafor reported.

The investigation began under the Biden Regime, but Newsom lashed out at President Trump during a question and answer session on Thursday.

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Trump DOJ to Send Federal Election Monitors to 15 Jurisdictions in Six States for 2026 Primaries

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced Tuesday that the Department of Justice will deploy election monitors to 15 jurisdictions across Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia ahead of the upcoming primaries.

The monitors are tasked with ensuring compliance with federal voting laws, preventing fraud, protecting eligible voters’ rights, and documenting any irregularities in areas long plagued by election integrity concerns.

Dhillon stated in a video posted to X:

In 2026, in this upcoming primary season, the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, as it has done for decades, is this year sending election monitors into 15 different jurisdictions in six states. And those states are Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia.

And we’re sending the monitors into cities and counties where there may have been some problems in the recent elections. And so this is something that DOJ does routinely.

So, for example, in 2022, in the primary season, there were nine jurisdictions in which the prior administration sent election monitors during the primaries. In 2024, similarly, there were, in that election, 27 different jurisdictions monitored by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

So this year, we’re kind of in the middle of that with our 15. And what we hope to do here is increase voter confidence, make sure there are no language barriers or barriers to voting for Americans with disabilities, or, you know, sort of failure to make sure that the polling places are open correctly for the amount of time necessary, and that everyone has appropriate access to vote who should be allowed to vote.

So this is an important goal that increases voter confidence.

Exercise of our oversight duty and our enforcement duty to enforce the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Voting Rights Act, a very important statute, and other civil rights statutes like the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

So I’m proud to be helping organize this effort and send those monitors to help increase all citizens’ confidence in the outcome of our elections.

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Justice Department Vows Criminal Action Against States that Allow Noncitizens to Vote

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday threatened states that allow noncitizens to remain on state voter rolls or vote in elections.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sent letters to election officials across all 50 states, asking the state officials how they intend to comply with federal law to ensure that noncitizens do not vote. The DOJ gave every state five days to respond to the Department’s demands.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in the letters to state elections officials, “Any election officer, including the chief election officer of the state, who knowingly retains noncitizens on the state’s [state voter registration list] or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots could be subject to criminal liability.”

She noted that it is a crime for two or more people to coordinate to deprive Americans of their constitutional rights.

“We encourage you to contact us to discuss what steps your state should take to maintain clean voter lists as required by law,” she continued.

The Justice Department sent their letters to the state elections officials as President Donald Trump has demanded that the Senate passes the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote. He has vowed not to sign other bills into law unless the Senate passes his election integrity bill. “The Department sent these letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, asking for voluntary compliance in a timely manner with their obligations under federal law to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections,” a Justice Department spokesperson said.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said in a statement that “the suggestion that Arizona election officials are failing to do their jobs is simply not supported by the facts.”

“It is insulting to insinuate that the good people at our county recorders’ offices across the state are not doing their jobs correctly,” the Arizona Democrat continued. “Arizona election officials have always worked to ensure that only eligible citizens are registered to vote, and we will continue following Arizona law — not directions that come from political rhetoric or intimidation.”

Breitbart News’s Katherine Hamilton reported about how one case out of Alabama points to how noncitizens vote in American elections.

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Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Attempt to Subpoena 2020 Fulton County Election Workers

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to subpoena 2020 Fulton County election workers.

Earlier this year the FBI raided the Fulton County election office.

The Justice Department also issued subpoenas for information on all 2020 election workers from Fulton County.

The records include those who were performing the following functions and duties:

  • Individuals assigned to review Mail-In Ballots
  • Individuals assigned to the Voter Review Panel/Board
  • Individuals assigned to Mobile Voting Locations
  • Individuals assigned to transfer results to or from media or transport ballots, ballot stock, or media
  • Individuals employed or contracted by the Fulton Board of Registrations and Elections
  • Individuals who worked or volunteered for the Risk Limiting Audit
  • Individuals who worked or volunteered for the Recount
  • Individuals who served as precinct managers and assistant managers

On Tuesday, US District Judge William Ray, a Trump appointee, quashed the subpoenas.

Judge Ray said the grand jury subpoena was unreasonable.

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Trump DOJ to Send Election Monitors Into Three Democrat-Run Michigan Cities

President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice has informed Michigan officials that it plans to send election monitors to Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing in the upcoming primary elections.

In a letter obtained by Detroit News, Timothy Mellett, deputy chief of the DOJ’s Voting Section, informed Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope of their plans.

“As part of our assessment of your administration of the federal primary election, we plan to have election monitors at your 2026 primary election,” he wrote.

“We will contact you a week prior to election monitoring to discuss the particulars of the monitoring effort.”

Election monitors observe polling places and other aspects of the voting process to assess compliance with federal voting laws.

While they do not administer elections or handle ballots, they monitor election procedures, document potential irregularities, and report their findings to the Department of Justice.

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DOJ urges states to join investigation into major oil companies

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are urging states to join a sweeping probe into major oil companies.

In a joint three-page letter sent to state attorneys general on Friday, federal antitrust regulators called for localized investigations into oil distributors for potential price-fixing, market monopolization and consumer fraud.

Federal antitrust lawyers are asking states to deploy all tools available, as they believe several companies are keeping prices high despite a steep drop in wholesale crude costs.

The coordinated federal-state push comes on the heels of an executive directive from President Donald Trump last week.

On Monday evening, the president accused oil corporations of “gouging” American drivers.

“Gasoline Retailers must get their Prices down, IMMEDIATELY! They’re too high considering that Oil is now at $68 a Barrel, and heading south,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and so what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!”

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DOJ Opens New Front in Second Amendment Fight Against California

It’s a pretty grand time to be a Second Amendment advocate. The right to keep and bear arms has been boosted by several recent court decisions, key among them being New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which changed the landscape of legal matters concerning the Second Amendment for good.

As a result of Bruen, several anti-gun laws and proposed laws have been, one might say, shot down. Now, in the latest, Harmeet Dhillon, United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, has announced a new lawsuit by the Justice Department (DOJ) challenging California’s Glock ban and handgun roster law.

The official press release, found here, states in part:

“The Civil Rights Division will defend law-abiding citizens from states that seek to disarm them illegally,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is yet another example of this Justice Department enforcing the Second Amendment by protecting citizens against unconstitutional state regulation of firearms.”

California’s new law would ban the retail purchase of common handguns manufactured by Glock and guns with similar firing mechanisms. The state’s existing “Handgun Roster” further limits the types of handguns citizens can lawfully purchase in California. The United States Supreme Court recently reaffirmed that the Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect the right to carry handguns outside the home for self-defense in Wolford v. Lopez. The Court reiterated that states cannot prevent citizens from using commonly used firearms for self-defense.

Yes, the right to keep and bear arms properly falls to the Civil Rights Division. People on the left, most of whom lack even a nodding acquaintance with the Bill of Rights, don’t get that, but the right to keep and bear arms, acknowledged (not granted) by the Second Amendment, is a fundamental civil right.

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Judge Blocks USPS Ballot Rule Tied To Trump’s Election Integrity Order

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a Trump administration proposal to boost election integrity by enhancing ballot tracking and verification, finding it conflicted with a 2021 settlement requiring the agency to prioritize the timely delivery of election mail.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled on July 1 that USPS could not move forward with the proposed rule, which would have required states using the mail for federal absentee and mail-in voting to adopt standardized ballot envelopes with trackable barcodes and provide USPS with voter participation lists to make ballot verification easier. Ballot mailings that failed to comply would have been rejected.

One day after the proposed rule was published in early June, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) returned to court in a long-running lawsuit originally filed during the 2020 election, asking Sullivan to enforce a 2021 settlement that requires USPS to prioritize the monitoring and timely delivery of election mail through the 2028 election cycle.

The proposed rule stems from President Donald Trump’s March executive order directing USPS to develop new standards for handling federal ballot mail as part of a broader thrust to bolster election integrity.

The Justice Department, which represented USPS in the case, did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

Rule Boosts Election Integrity, DOJ Says

In opposing the NAACP’s motion, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued in a court brief that the proposed rule was designed to improve—not hinder—the handling of election mail.

Attorneys representing the Trump administration wrote that requiring standardized Election Mail logos and Intelligent Mail barcodes would make ballots easier to identify throughout the postal network. They argued this would allow USPS to better monitor the movement of mail-in ballots and help implement the “extraordinary measures” USPS has traditionally used to expedite election mail before federal elections.

“Such requirements promote the ’monitoring and timely delivery of Election Mail’; they do not frustrate it,” they wrote in the brief. “And while the Postal Service has proposed requiring state and local election officials to identify the names and addresses of the persons to whom they send ballots and to provide the barcodes for the ballot envelopes, requiring this information—which officials already, by definition, have—would not compromise the lawful delivery of any mail.”

The administration stated in the proposal that the new rule would strengthen election integrity by creating a uniform ballot-tracking system while leaving decisions about voter eligibility entirely to the states.

Election officials—not USPS—would determine who is eligible to vote by mail and would submit lists of voters receiving mail ballots, together with unique barcode information, through a federal portal. The Postal Service would use that information only to verify ballot mailings and improve tracking, not to decide who could vote.

“State and local election officials would maintain full control over who they send ballots to,” government attorneys said in the brief.

“There are no plausible concerns, certainly at this stage, that the Proposed Rule would negatively impact USPS’s ability to timely and reliably deliver Election Mail. Rather, this provision would, again, assist USPS in better being able to track (and thus deliver) such important mail.”

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DOJ Launches New Crackdown on Birth Tourism After Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announces on Wednesday DOJ will prioritize prosecutions of birth tourism schemes involving visa fraud as foreign nationals continue exploiting U.S. citizenship loopholes despite yesterday’s 5-4 Supreme Court ruling striking down President Trump’s executive order.

On Tuesday, the Trump Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors across the country to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of birth tourism schemes.

The move, announced just hours after the high court struck down President Trump’s executive order protecting the meaning and value of American citizenship, shows the administration is not backing down. Instead, it is weaponizing existing criminal law against the fraudsters who exploit the loophole.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald issued a department-wide memo Tuesday directing every U.S. Attorney’s office to work closely with DHS on these cases.

Potential charges include visa fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and wire fraud for foreign nationals who come to the United States under “false pretenses” to give birth and secure automatic citizenship for their child.

“The Department of Justice will zealously protect the sanctity of United States citizenship by investigating and prosecuting those who fraudulently exploit our immigration system,” McDonald wrote.

The memo notes that many of these schemes begin with lies on visa applications about the true purpose and length of stay — conduct that has always been illegal. Past prosecutions focused heavily on visa fraud, but the directive makes clear prosecutors should pursue the full range of criminal statutes when the evidence supports it.

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