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Federal judges blocking executive orders, DOJ targeting law firms and political opponents, and battles over court compliance
The Senate voted 47-52 on Friday against advancing legislation to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as five Republicans joined most Democrats in blocking the measure over constitutional concerns and…
4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump declined Sunday to rule out using nearly $1.8 billion from an "anti-weaponization" fund to compensate individuals who were charged with assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol,…
3 MIN READA D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed a breach of contract lawsuit against musician Chuck Redd on Friday, ruling that the Kennedy Center's suit violated Washington's Anti-SLAPP law. Redd had canceled a Christmas Eve performance after the…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Stephen Buyer, a former Republican congressman from Indiana who served nearly two years in prison for insider trading, the White House announced Friday.
3 MIN READThe FBI on Friday fired five analysts connected to the creation of a 2023 intelligence memo that warned of a potential threat from Catholic 'violent extremists,' their attorney said, the latest wave of personnel actions under Director Kash…
3 MIN READPresident Trump said he wants Bill Pulte, his incoming acting director of national intelligence, to fire a large number of employees and reduce the size of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, warning the agency overseeing…
3 MIN READThe Arizona Supreme Court on June 4 denied an appeal by prosecutors seeking to overturn a lower-court order that sends the state's fake elector case back to a grand jury, marking another setback for Attorney General Kris Mayes as she seeks…
3 MIN READJohn Bolton, the former national security adviser who served under Donald Trump and later became one of the president's most prominent critics, plans to plead guilty to a single count of illegally retaining sensitive national security…
3 MIN READFormer CIA senior official David Rush was arrested last month at his Virginia home, where investigators found over 300 gold bars valued at more than $40 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. The gold bars were allegedly taken from…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday stripping civil service job protections from approximately 8,000 senior federal workers earning up to nearly $200,000 annually, the White House and Office of Personnel Management…
3 MIN READCBS fired veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday night after he challenged new leadership at the program, accusing editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and executive producer Nick Bilton of attempting to inject political bias into…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday that he expects acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to become his permanent choice for the nation's top law enforcement officer, according to an interview broadcast on Pod Force One.
3 MIN READThe Public Integrity Project on Saturday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to stop a Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for the White House South Lawn, claiming the event violates National Park Service…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration's $1.776 billion fund to compensate people it says were victims of political "lawfare" is facing mounting legal and political challenges, with a federal judge temporarily blocking its operation and critics from…
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The Department of Justice said on June 1 that it will comply with a federal judge's order to temporarily halt work on the Trump administration's anti-weaponization fund, pausing disbursements ahead of a scheduled mid-June court hearing.…
4 MIN READThe Justice Department said Monday it will comply with a federal court ruling that temporarily blocks the Trump administration's $1.776 billion 'anti-weaponization fund' while a legal challenge proceeds. The department said it 'disagrees…
3 MIN READThe lead prosecutor in former FBI director James Comey's criminal case over an '86 47' seashell photo has withdrawn from the proceedings, according to a court filing the Department of Justice submitted Friday evening. No reason was given…
4 MIN READGov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday that prohibits any person — including federal agents — from accessing California voter rolls or election technology without a court order. The measure, taking effect immediately ahead of next…
3 MIN READLawyers for the Southern Poverty Law Center asked a federal judge on Tuesday to dismiss the Justice Department’s April indictment of the civil rights nonprofit, arguing the charges are part of a top-down campaign of retribution against…
3 MIN READThe Department of Justice acknowledged on May 23, 2026, that it removed news releases detailing criminal charges, convictions, and sentencings of defendants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot from its website, describing the prosecutorial…
3 MIN READFederal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed U.S. Department of Justice lawsuits seeking to compel the states to turn over detailed voter registration information, according to a decision in each case. A Wisconsin judge said…
3 MIN READActing U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is facing Republican resistance over a Justice Department plan to create a $1.776 billion fund to compensate people who say they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted under President Donald…
4 MIN READPresident Donald Trump’s critics, including a fired former prosecutor, sued Friday to block payouts from a newly announced $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” aimed at resolving the president’s IRS-related lawsuit over the leak of his…
3 MIN READA coalition of individuals who have faced legal action from the federal government — including a fired federal prosecutor and a university professor acquitted of assaulting officers during a protest — filed a lawsuit on Friday, May 22,…
4 MIN READFederal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed U.S. Department of Justice lawsuits seeking detailed voter registration information, court filings described. The decisions come as the Trump administration has pursued similar…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration’s Justice Department acknowledged it removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, calling the information “partisan propaganda.” The change comes as the…
3 MIN READA coalition of President Donald Trump’s critics filed lawsuits seeking to stop payouts from a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” meant to compensate Trump allies they say were targeted by a “weaponized” government. The federal case…
3 MIN READBrittney Brown, a biologist at Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, has signed a $485,000 settlement after she was fired over a social media repost involving conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his death. The…
3 MIN READFederal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice that sought to compel the states to hand over detailed voter registration information. The rulings add to a string of defeats for…
3 MIN READFederal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed lawsuits by the U.S. Department of Justice that sought to compel the states to turn over detailed voter registration information. The rulings add to a series of defeats for the…
3 MIN READFlorida officials will pay $485,000 to a biologist who was fired by the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after she reposted a meme about conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media following his death, the biologist…
3 MIN READRepublican senators are considering whether to drop a proposal for $1 billion in security funding for the White House complex and President Donald Trump’s ballroom after it failed to build enough support in the Senate. The plan was pushed…
3 MIN READA mixed-reality exhibit celebrating Ohlone culture opened Sunday at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, defeating a Trump administration attempt to block the $450,000 federal grant that funded it. A federal judge ordered the National…
4 MIN READA former federal prosecutor in Florida, Carmen Lineberger, has been charged with sending to her personal email account a special counsel report from the investigation into President Donald Trump’s classified-documents case, according to an…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration is creating a \$1.776 billion fund to compensate allies who believe they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. The move has been criticized by Democrats and government watchdogs.
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump’s Justice Department announced a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for allies who say they were wrongly investigated or prosecuted, with critics calling it unconstitutional and corrupt. Acting Attorney General…
4 MIN READA coalition of Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration to challenge new caps on federal student loans, saying the limits will restrict access to certain health care training. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, argues the rules will…
3 MIN READFederal judges on Friday dismissed felony grand‑jury indictments against nine Wyoming defendants, finding that interim U.S. Attorney Darin Smith’s prejudicial remarks to the grand jury could have tainted the proceedings. Defense lawyers…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department announced Monday that it has created a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who say they were unjustly investigated or prosecuted in connection with the Trump administration’s IRS tax-returns lawsuit. The…
3 MIN READThe Washington Post filed a federal court petition on January 21 to recover electronic devices the FBI seized from reporter Hannah Natanson's Virginia home, arguing the search violated her free speech rights and journalistic protections. A…
4 MIN READThe Justice Department announced Monday it is creating an Anti-Weaponization Fund of $1.776 billion as part of a settlement that would resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns. The department…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Department of Justice on April 14 demanded that Michigan's Wayne County turn over all ballots from the 2024 presidential election, marking an expansion of federal election record requests to swing states that Trump won. Harmeet K.…
5 MIN READA federal appeals court heard arguments Thursday on whether to continue blocking President Donald Trump's executive orders sanctioning four major law firms, as the firms' lawyer warned that the orders "strike at the heart of the First…
4 MIN READThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court seeking to block the D.C. Bar from sanctioning former Trump administration lawyers Jeffrey Clark and Ed Martin, arguing that the disciplinary proceedings are politically…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit in Washington seeking to challenge efforts to sanction attorneys from the first and second Trump administrations, arguing the District of Columbia Bar is politicizing the legal discipline process. In…
3 MIN READPresident Donald Trump’s efforts to sanction some major law firms “strike at the heart of the rule of law,” an attorney for the firms told a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Thursday.…
3 MIN READFederal judge Carl Nichols heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s executive order that would require the Department of Homeland Security to compile an eligible voter list for each state and would…
3 MIN READLawyers for Democratic Party organizations and civil rights groups argued in federal court Thursday that President Donald Trump exceeded his constitutional authority when he issued an executive order to restrict mail-in voting and create a…
3 MIN READThe National Science Foundation suspended at least 18 research grants to UC Berkeley in April, attorneys representing university scientists said, raising concerns the Trump administration is circumventing a federal court order that…
3 MIN READAlabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation Monday into the Southern Poverty Law Center's fundraising practices, issuing a subpoena for records of donations and payments to informants. The inquiry comes after a…
4 MIN READAlabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center’s fundraising practices. The probe follows a federal indictment of the organization announced by the U.S. Department of Justice.
3 MIN READA federal judge in New York ruled Thursday that the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants was unconstitutional, permanently blocking the Department of Government Efficiency from terminating the…
3 MIN READA federal judge in Manhattan ruled Thursday that the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon permanently barred the administration from…
3 MIN READFormer FBI Director James Comey asked a judge to cancel his scheduled court appearance in eastern North Carolina, saying he already surrendered in Virginia and has faced a judge there in the Trump threat case. The Department of Justice is…
3 MIN READFormer FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge Thursday to cancel his upcoming court appearance in North Carolina on charges that he threatened President Donald Trump, arguing he had already surrendered to authorities in Virginia.
3 MIN READThe Department of Justice is seeking the names and personal contact information of every person who worked on the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, according to a court filing by the county. Lawyers for the county filed a motion…
4 MIN READA federal judge ruled Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Justice does not have to return 2020 election ballots seized by the FBI from a warehouse near Atlanta that held records for Fulton County, Georgia. The county had argued the…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department has agreed to return U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles’ personal cellphone that was seized as part of an investigation into his campaign finances, signaling it is abandoning the probe. The FBI confiscated the Tennessee…
3 MIN READThe U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the names of people who worked the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, seeking records that include personal contact information for county employees and poll workers, according to a court…
4 MIN READU.S. District Judge Ana Reyes told the Trump administration not to cut down more than 10 trees at the historic East Potomac Golf Course in Washington, D.C., without first giving notice, pending a lawsuit alleging the planned renovation…
3 MIN READA federal appeals court panel on Monday expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s practice of keeping top federal prosecutors in office for extended periods without U.S. Senate approval, in a case involving First Assistant U.S.…
4 MIN READA federal judge told the U.S. government Monday not to cut down more than 10 trees at the historic East Potomac Golf Course without providing notice, while a legal dispute over the planned renovations moves forward. U.S. District Court…
3 MIN READFederal appeals judges said Monday they were skeptical that President Donald Trump can keep certain top federal prosecutors in place for extended periods without U.S. Senate approval. The concern arose as the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration has been found in violation of court orders in at least 31 lawsuits since February 2025, an Associated Press review of court records shows. Legal experts warn the defiance, which includes more than 250 additional…
3 MIN READThe Trump administration violated court orders in at least 31 lawsuits during its first 15 months in office, an Associated Press review of court records has found. The violations span issues from mass deportations and spending freezes to…
3 MIN READThe Associated Press review found district court judges ruled the Trump administration violated court orders in at least 31 lawsuits over a wide range of policy areas during the administration’s first 15 months. The review also found…
3 MIN READFederal judges have raised alarms in recent months about the Trump administration’s failure to follow court orders in individual immigration cases, according to an Associated Press review of court records. The AP found district judges…
3 MIN READFormer FBI Director James Comey made his first court appearance Wednesday in a criminal case brought by the Justice Department that alleges he threatened President Donald Trump with a social media post featuring the numbers “86 47.”…
3 MIN READA federal judge dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona seeking access to the state’s detailed voter records, dealing a new setback to the Trump administration’s bid to obtain voter data. In the ruling, U.S. District…
3 MIN READIn New York on April 28, a federal judge ruled that Maurene Comey can pursue her lawsuit claiming she was wrongfully fired as a federal prosecutor. Judge Jesse M. Furman rejected the Justice Department’s request to move the case out of…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by a historic preservation group over a planned $400 million White House ballroom, filings submitted after a shooting at a media gala at the White House. The government said…
4 MIN READCivil rights groups condemned the Southern Poverty Law Center’s criminal indictment as a threat to civil rights and vowed coordinated support as the case begins in federal court in Alabama. The Justice Department alleges the nonprofit used…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department has settled a lawsuit brought by former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page for $1.25 million, resolving Page’s claims that he was subjected to unlawful surveillance during the FBI’s Russia…
3 MIN READNEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times said the FBI investigated whether a reporter, Elizabeth Williamson, violated laws against stalking after she published a story about federal agents assigned to protect and transport FBI Director Kash…
3 MIN READThe New York Times said the FBI investigated whether one of its reporters, Elizabeth Williamson, violated laws against stalking after she wrote a story about federal agents assigned to protect and drive FBI Director Kash Patel’s…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department has withdrawn subpoenas issued in its investigation of former CIA Director John Brennan, and is now asking for voluntary interviews instead of grand jury testimony, AP sources said Tuesday. The shift followed a…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department has subpoenaed witnesses to testify before a federal grand jury in Washington as part of its investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, according to three people familiar with the matter. The subpoenas were…
5 MIN READFBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic magazine for $250 million Monday in federal court in Washington, accusing the publication of defamation over an article that alleged excessive drinking and mismanagement. The Atlantic said it…
3 MIN READCarmine Agnello, the reality-TV-star grandson of late mob boss John Gotti, was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.1 million in federal pandemic-relief loans meant for small businesses. Federal Judge…
3 MIN READThe Justice Department is weaponizing a confidential reprimand to steal Fulton County election records.
A federal judge Friday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit demanding that Rhode Island provide detailed voter registration data, ruling that federal law does not permit such a demand. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy sided with election officials and civil rights advocates, finding that the Justice Department was conducting what amounted to a "fishing expedition."
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered John Eastman disbarred, stripping the attorney who devised a plan for then-Vice President Mike Pence to block certification of the 2020 presidential election of his license to practice law in the state. The court ordered Eastman's name stricken from the California roll of attorneys, capping a yearslong disciplinary proceeding that the State Bar's chief trial counsel said was driven by clear evidence of misconduct.
Former NBA player Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a federal gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures, according to the Associated Press. Jones, 49, is scheduled for plea change hearings on April 28 in Brooklyn federal court in two separate cases — one charging him with profiting from rigged poker games and another alleging he sold non-public injury information about LeBron James and Anthony Davis to sports bettors.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered a sustained public critique of the Supreme Court's conservative majority Monday, calling the emergency stay orders that have allowed President Donald Trump to implement contested immigration and federal spending policies "back-of-the-envelope, first-blush impressions" that can "seem oblivious and thus ring hollow." Jackson spoke for nearly an hour at Yale Law School, addressing roughly two dozen emergency orders the court issued last year that let the Trump administration move ahead with immigration restrictions, steep federal funding cuts, and other controversial policies while lower courts were weighing whether those measures were likely illegal. Yale Law School posted video of the event on Wednesday.
The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to throw out seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack cases. The filing would vacate the convictions so prosecutors can permanently dismiss the indictments, the government said.
The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to throw out seditious conspiracy convictions for leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors said the government wants to vacate the convictions and permanently dismiss the indictments. The motion also targets convictions for other named leaders, while some defendants already received Trump commutations or pardons, including founder Stewart Rhodes, who was not pardoned last January.
A federal judge in Massachusetts dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking the state’s detailed voter registration records, a new setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain sensitive data on voters. U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin said the government failed to make the factual showing required by federal law for such demands.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Pentagon is violating an order meant to restore access for reporters, siding again with The New York Times. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s team tried to evade his March 20 ruling by adopting new credential rules that require reporters to be escorted and could bar them from the building. The Defense Department said it complied with court orders and plans to appeal.
A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 5,000 Ethiopians, saying it was done “without regard for the process delineated by Congress.” The decision, issued Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, keeps the protected status in place while legal challenges to the administration’s TPS terminations continue.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration an increasing number of emergency docket appeals in part because the conservative justices view blocking executive actions as legally unfixable harm. Speaking Thursday at the University of Alabama School of Law, Sotomayor said the court’s emergency docket approach has shifted the “paradigm” for whether justices grant quick relief.
Steve Bannon won a Supreme Court order on Monday expected to clear the way for a lower court to dismiss his criminal contempt conviction over refusing to testify before a House committee. The justices threw out an appellate ruling upholding the conviction, allowing a trial judge to consider a request tied to “the interests of justice,” according to court actions reported by the Associated Press.
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's effort to collect data from colleges and universities to ensure they are not considering race in admissions. The order follows a lawsuit from 17 Democratic state attorneys general.
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's attempt to collect data from colleges and universities to prove they are not considering race in admissions. The preliminary injunction was granted following a lawsuit by 17 Democratic state attorneys general.
The Trump administration urged a federal appeals court to pause a judge’s order that temporarily halted construction of a new $400 million White House ballroom, arguing the stoppage creates national-security risks. In a motion filed Friday, National Park Service lawyers said the project—including provisions described as bomb shelters and other security and medical facilities—must continue without interruption as the administration appeals.
Pam Bondi has been removed as U.S. attorney general after prosecutors failed to secure criminal cases against President Donald Trump’s political enemies. The Justice Department has run into obstacles from judges, grand jurors, and even within its own workforce, and the next attorney general will likely confront the same evidentiary and legal hurdles.
President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom won final approval Thursday from the National Capital Planning Commission, days after a federal judge ordered a halt to construction unless Congress allowed what would be the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years, according to the Associated Press. The commission voted 8-1, with two commissioners voting present and one absent, and said the judge’s ruling affected construction activities but not the planning process.
The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s order that blocked the Pentagon from taking punitive measures against artificial intelligence company Anthropic over a dispute about military use of AI. Department of Justice attorneys filed a notice of appeal in San Francisco federal court, and the Ninth Circuit set an April 30 deadline for the government to file its arguments.
A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump is not immune from civil claims alleging his Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” remarks incited the Capitol attack. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said the Ellipse rally speech “plausibly” falls outside presidential immunity protection under the First Amendment.
A federal judge has permanently blocked the Trump administration from implementing a directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, citing First Amendment protections. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that the order is unlawful and unenforceable and said the government cannot target speech it disfavors.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s effort to dramatically change the criteria for federal homeless funding is unlawful. Judge Mary McElroy said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new Notice of Funding Opportunity violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The ruling orders HUD to scrap the new policy.
Three FBI agents fired after participating in an investigation related to President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat have sued to try to get their jobs back, according to a class action filed in federal court in Washington. The agents, Michelle Ball, Jamie Garman and Blaire Toleman, said they were illegally punished for their work and were removed without due process, adding to a broader personnel purge they say has followed the same pattern. The lawsuit names FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to suspend construction of a $400 million ballroom at the White House after the administration demolished the East Wing to make space for it. The order, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, bars work from proceeding without congressional approval.
A federal judge in Denver on Tuesday dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit challenging Colorado and Denver “sanctuary” laws. The judge said the federal government cannot require states or local governments to use their resources to carry out federal immigration enforcement.
Eric Swalwell’s lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel demanding he immediately stop any plan to release records from a decade-old FBI investigation involving the California congressman and a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. The attorneys warned Patel that proceeding would violate federal law and Justice Department policy, and asked for a response within three days.
WASHINGTON — The New York Times urged a federal judge on Monday to compel the Pentagon to follow an order that blocked a policy limiting reporters’ access to the Defense Department’s headquarters. The Times said the Pentagon implemented a revised “interim” press policy that works around U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman’s March 20 ruling, which the judge said applies to “all regulated parties.” The Pentagon and Justice Department attorneys told the judge that the Defense Department has complied “in good faith” with the order.
Attorneys for Fulton County and the Trump administration argued in U.S. District Court in Atlanta on Friday over Fulton County’s demand that the FBI return seized 2020 election ballots and related materials. Fulton County’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, described the January seizure as “unusual” and said the search-warrant affidavit did not allege a specific crime. Federal prosecutors, including Justice Department criminal division assistant attorney general A. Tysen Duva, said the investigation has a basis and that the government already provided the county with digital copies.
A judge heard arguments Friday in a legal fight over whether the FBI should return seized 2020 election ballots and related materials to Georgia’s Fulton County. Fulton County lawyers argued the January seizure was “unusual” and not supported by probable cause, while federal prosecutors said the Justice Department still needs the physical records for its investigation.
President Donald Trump showed a classified map to people aboard a 2022 flight to his New Jersey golf club, according to a letter from Rep. Jamie Raskin to Attorney General Pam Bondi released Wednesday. Raskin said the allegations come from a January 2023 Department of Justice memo prosecutors wrote as they pursued a felony indictment in the special counsel’s classified documents investigation. The White House denied the claims, saying Raskin lacks credibility.
The Pentagon will close the “Correspondents’ Corridor,” a long-used media area in the building, after a federal judge ordered it to reinstate press credentials for New York Times reporters, a department official said Monday. The changes will also remove Pentagon media offices, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said last week he found the credentialing policy sought to limit access to “disfavored journalists,” a ruling the department said it plans to appeal.
A federal judge on Monday named Robert Frazer as U.S. attorney for New Jersey, ending a court fight over the Trump administration’s control of the post after previous appointees were disqualified. The appointment followed disqualifications of three Department of Justice officials who were sharing authority over the office, a move that fed a broader dispute between judges and the administration over whether judicially appointed prosecutors could be replaced.
The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University in federal court in Massachusetts, alleging the school failed to address antisemitism and seeking to recover federal research funds and block future grant money. The suit also asks a judge to require Harvard to call police to arrest protesters who block campus areas and to appoint a government-approved independent monitor. Harvard said it has taken “substantive, proactive steps” to address antisemitism and emphasized protections for Jewish and Israeli community members.
The two former FBI agents fired last year said in a federal lawsuit filed in Washington that they were terminated “solely” for doing work connected to the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation into President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election results. The lawsuit also alleges the firings followed political disclosures about the probe and sought reinstatement and a court declaration that the terminations were unlawful.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is letting ousted interim federal prosecutor Brad Schimel continue overseeing cases in the Eastern District of Wisconsin under a new title, after federal judges declined to extend his 120-day interim term. The move comes as Democrats in the U.S. Senate delay confirmation votes on President Donald Trump’s appointees.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts warned Tuesday that personal criticism of federal judges is dangerous and “it’s got to stop,” two days after President Donald Trump attacked a federal judge who ruled against the administration. Speaking at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston, Roberts said criticism tied to legal rulings “comes with the territory” but hostility directed at judges personally is “dangerous.”
State senators in Atlanta grilled former special prosecutor Nathan Wade on March 13 about his work on Georgia’s racketeering case against President Donald Trump, focusing on communications his team had with federal investigators. The Republican-led inquiry into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her prosecution largely ran into Wade’s repeated claims that he could not recall details.
Voting technology firm Smartmatic filed a motion in Miami federal court Tuesday seeking to dismiss a criminal money laundering indictment, with attorneys arguing that President Donald Trump and his allies drove the prosecution as retaliation for the company's role in a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Trump's media supporters.
Washington's attorney-discipline office filed professional misconduct charges March 7 against Ed Martin, the Justice Department's pardon attorney, accusing him of violating the Constitution when, as interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., he threatened Georgetown Law School's dean with a student hiring freeze if the school did not eliminate its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The charges were filed by Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton Fox with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, which enforces ethics standards for D.C.-licensed attorneys. Fox is asking a D.C. Court of Appeals panel to determine whether discipline is warranted. Martin, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has 20 days to formally respond in writing.
Washington's attorney ethics office has filed professional misconduct charges against Ed Martin, the Justice Department's pardon attorney, for a letter he sent last year to Georgetown Law School's dean threatening to bar the school's students from federal prosecutor jobs unless the university eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed the charges on Friday, accusing Martin of violating his oath of office and the Constitution's protections for free speech and due process. Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton Fox is asking a panel of D.C. Court of Appeals officials to determine whether discipline is warranted.
A federal judge ruled Saturday that Kari Lake, President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, did not have legal authority to take actions that largely dismantled the Voice of America. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said Lake could not serve as a principal officer because she did not meet the requirements in law or the Constitution, and he wrote that only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act’s structure can authorize such service.
In a federal courtroom lecture, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Justice Brett Kavanaugh sparred over the Supreme Court’s emergency orders that allow President Donald Trump to move forward with parts of his agenda while legal challenges proceed. Jackson criticized what she called a “real unfortunate problem” in the court’s approach to the emergency docket, while Kavanaugh said administrations often have to “push the envelope in regulations” as Congress becomes harder to navigate.
A federal judge on March 9 disqualified three Justice Department officials from overseeing federal prosecutions in New Jersey, saying they were appointed as part of an illegal power grab by the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann ruled that the Trump administration’s structure violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, which requires Senate confirmation for U.S. attorneys.
Georgia's Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation Friday expanding the grounds for disciplining or removing local prosecutors, as Republican leaders pointed to the dismissed criminal case against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as evidence the oversight is needed. The lead measure extends the authority of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, a body the Legislature created in 2024 to oversee elected district attorneys and solicitors general. Its fate in the Republican-controlled House, which is considered less partisan than the Senate, remains uncertain.
The Trump administration reversed course on Tuesday after backing out of a court fight over executive orders targeting major law firms, according to filings in Washington. In a brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Justice Department said it withdrew an earlier motion to dismiss but then filed a new position after judges rejected challenges brought by firms including Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, Susman Godfrey and WilmerHale.
The FBI has fired additional agents who worked on an investigation into President Donald Trump, including employees who participated in the probe into his retention of classified documents, people familiar with the matter said Feb. 25. The firings are described as part of personnel changes under FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump appointee, and come amid similar DOJ-wide dismissals of prosecutors since Trump took office.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is appealing a judge’s order blocking the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video that urged troops to resist unlawful orders, according to a court filing. U.S. Justice Department officials asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the Feb. 12 ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon.
The FBI has fired additional agents who worked on investigations involving President Donald Trump, AP reported, including personnel who participated in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe. The firings come amid a wider personnel overhaul under FBI Director Kash Patel, and people familiar with the matter told AP that 10 or more employees were terminated. An agents’ association condemned the move as unlawful and said it would endanger national security.
Federal authorities are barred from conducting an “unsupervised, wholesale search” of devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in Virginia during a classified-leaks investigation, a U.S. magistrate judge ruled Tuesday. Magistrate Judge William Porter said he will personally review the contents of Natanson’s devices rather than allowing a Justice Department “filter team” search.
A federal judge on Monday permanently barred the release of special counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, blocking public scrutiny of a prosecution that once stood as the most perilous of four criminal cases against the Republican. Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, granted the president's request to keep the report sealed. Smith's investigations produced indictments that were abandoned after Trump's 2024 election victory, citing Justice Department legal opinions prohibiting prosecution of sitting presidents.
The U.S. Justice Department fired James Hundley on Friday after judges had unanimously chosen him to replace Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the Justice Department and the court-driven appointment process described in a report. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Hundley was fired in a post on X shortly after the judge selection.
Minnesota federal prosecutors have dismissed or dropped cases as the office in charge of U.S. criminal prosecutions in the state has been depleted by resignations and retirements amid disputes over Justice Department directives. The upheaval contributed to Cory Allen McKay, convicted 12 times, being released after his meth trafficking case was dropped following a prosecutor’s retirement. Local officials and defense lawyers say the churn is forcing delays and reducing the office’s ability to pursue some serious drug, violent and sexual offense cases.
Washington’s U.S. Department of Justice building displayed a large banner featuring President Donald Trump’s face on Thursday, an act prosecutors and critics said symbolizes political pressure on the law-enforcement agency. The banner’s slogan, “Make America Safe Again,” echoed the administration’s messaging on immigration enforcement and violent crime, while DOJ said it is celebrating the department’s 250-year history.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal judge in Philadelphia set a Friday deadline for the Trump administration to restore an exhibit on the nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former home on Independence Mall. Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the deadline Wednesday while the Justice Department appealed her earlier order to reinstate the display.
Karl Jacobson, 56, the former police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, was arrested Friday on larceny charges following allegations he stole $85,000 from two department accounts. Jacobson, who abruptly retired in January, turned himself in on an arrest warrant and was later released on a court-set bond of $150,000, according to the state prosecutor's office. He faces two counts of larceny related to defrauding a public community.
A federal judge signaled Friday he intends to order the government to return electronic devices seized from a Washington Post reporter's Virginia home during an investigation into a leaked classified documents case.
A federal judge in Philadelphia set a Friday deadline for the Trump administration to restore an exhibit on nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former home on Independence Mall. Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the deadline Wednesday while the Justice Department appealed her order restoring the exhibit.
The Fulton County District Attorney's office acknowledged "grave and clear" prosecutorial misconduct Wednesday in the 2002 murder conviction of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a onetime Black Panther leader, while standing by the conviction based on DNA evidence and ballistic testing. The filing accuses the original lead prosecutor, now a superior court judge, of conduct that "crossed the line from aggressive advocacy into misconduct that undermined the core principles of justice." Al-Amin died in prison in November; his family is seeking a public hearing to clear his name.
The Justice Department has issued new subpoenas in a Florida-based investigation tied to allegations involving political opponents of President Donald Trump and the government’s response to Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The subpoenas seek documents covering the years since the Obama administration’s intelligence assessment was published, the people said, speaking anonymously because the requests are not public.
The NAACP and allied civil-rights groups asked a federal judge on Monday to limit the government’s use of personal voter information seized by FBI agents from an elections warehouse outside Atlanta. In a motion filed late Sunday, the groups said the seizure of ballots and other records from Fulton County’s elections hub “breached” privacy protections and interfered with the right to vote, and they urged the judge to restrict use of the data to the criminal investigation cited in a search warrant affidavit.
A federal judge in Illinois temporarily blocked Trump administration officials from rescinding $600 million in public health grants allocated to four Democratic-led states, halting the cuts for 14 days. The states—California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota—argued the decision violates the Constitution by imposing retroactive conditions on funding Congress had already awarded, according to the lawsuit.
In a fresh dispute over how federal prosecutors are selected, the Justice Department dismissed Donald Kinsella less than a day after judges appointed him to serve as U.S. attorney for northern New York, the Associated Press reported Feb. 12. Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general, announced the firing, saying the president—not judges—picks U.S. attorneys. Judges said they acted within their legal authority in making the appointment.
A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video urging troops to resist unlawful orders, ruling the action would violate Kelly’s First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the Pentagon also “threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees,” while Kelly seeks to stop a Jan. 5 censure by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from transferring 20 former death row inmates with commuted sentences to ADX Florence, the nation’s most secure federal prison. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the government could not use a “sham” process to decide where the prisoners would be held for life. The ruling preserves life sentences for the plaintiffs while their lawsuit proceeds.
Democrats took to the Senate floor Wednesday to denounce the Justice Department’s effort to indict lawmakers over a 90-second video in which they urged military members to resist “illegal orders.” The senators spoke after a Washington grand jury declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly.
Republican lawmakers questioned telecommunications officials at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing about what they said were invasive tactics in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of President Donald Trump. Lawmakers pressed representatives from Verizon and other companies about how prosecutors obtained phone records for certain sitting members of Congress.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking detailed access to Michigan’s voter rolls, an additional rejection in the administration’s efforts to obtain state voter data. In an opinion issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou said the federal laws cited by the Justice Department do not require Michigan to disclose the records sought.
A federal judge in Manhattan ordered the Trump administration to restore $16 billion in funding for a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey, as construction was set to shut down. The ruling followed a funding freeze announced in the wake of a government shutdown and was sought by New York and New Jersey to keep money flowing while their lawsuit proceeds.
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan is refusing to voluntarily comply with a Justice Department investigation seeking an interview about a video she helped organize that urged U.S. service members to resist “illegal orders,” according to letters obtained by The Associated Press.
A federal judge on Tuesday questioned the Pentagon’s legal justification for censuring Sen. Mark Kelly after he joined a video urging troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration. During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said he was not aware of Supreme Court precedent that would support the Defense Department’s actions against a sitting senator.
Fulton County officials asked a federal court to order the FBI to return ballots and other 2020 Georgia election documents seized last week, escalating a dispute that comes as President Donald Trump talks about taking over elections. County Chairman Robb Pitts said the case is about election integrity statewide and cited the FBI search warrant’s list of sought items, including ballots, ballot images and tabulator tapes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday she is not concerned that Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, could taint an FBI investigation tied to a search of a Georgia elections office. Bondi’s comments came as Gabbard’s role in the FBI operation remained a point of scrutiny from congressional Democrats.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers that President Donald Trump asked for her to be present during an FBI search of Georgia’s Fulton County election center last week, according to a letter sent to top House and Senate intelligence committee Democrats on Monday. In the letter, Gabbard said she “facilitated” a brief phone call between Trump and FBI agents who conducted the search, and she said neither she nor Trump issued directives to agents.
A federal judge in Manhattan appeared skeptical during arguments on Wednesday about whether President Donald Trump can move and then overturn his New York hush-money conviction in federal court on presidential-immunity grounds. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said Trump’s team waited too long after a U.S. Supreme Court decision changed the legal landscape and called the effort “two bites at the apple.”
Conservative activist Ed Martin has been removed as head of a Justice Department working group tasked with scrutinizing federal prosecutions tied to President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter. The group was created when Attorney General Pam Bondi took office last year, and Martin is said to no longer be based at Justice Department headquarters.
A federal appeals court judge dismissed a misconduct complaint filed by the Justice Department against U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, the judge who blocked deportation flights to an El Salvador prison. The complaint alleged Boasberg made comments at a closed-door judicial conference in March 2025 that the Trump administration would trigger a constitutional crisis by disregarding federal court rulings.
FBI agents seized hundreds of ballot boxes and other election records this week at Fulton County’s elections hub outside Atlanta, an action tied to the agency’s efforts to pursue President Donald Trump’s long-running claims about the 2020 election in Georgia. Federal authorities have not publicly explained the purpose of Wednesday’s search and seizure, and the warrant was under seal.
The FBI searched the Fulton County elections office in Union City, Georgia, seeking records related to the 2020 election, according to an Associated Press report. Agents sealed off an area at the county’s main election facility and removed boxes that an FBI spokesperson said contained ballots. The search came about a week after President Donald Trump predicted prosecutions over the 2020 election.
The FBI on Wednesday executed a search warrant at Fulton County's main election office in Union City, Georgia, seeking records from the 2020 election. The search came one week after the Trump administration predicted prosecutions related to the contest, even as courts and federal officials have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread fraud that would have altered the outcome.
A federal judge in Oregon dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit seeking the state’s unredacted voter rolls on Monday, saying the Justice Department did not meet the legal standard for obtaining the records. U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai scheduled the hearing after letters from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that also urged state support for federal immigration enforcement.
A federal judge in Georgia dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit seeking voter information from the state, ruling the government filed the case in the wrong city. U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal ruled the Justice Department should have sued Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in Atlanta rather than in a separate federal judicial district in Macon.
The Justice Department moved Friday to permanently seal a classified-documents report produced by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, calling it the "illicit product of an unlawful investigation and prosecution" that belongs in the "dustbin of history." The filing escalates a legal battle over whether Smith's report on his investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate should be made public.
Philadelphia sued the Trump administration Thursday to reverse the removal of an exhibit documenting slavery at Independence National Historical Park, challenging an executive order directing federal agencies to review historical interpretations for "accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values." The National Park Service removed the display detailing nine enslaved people who lived at the President's House when George and Martha Washington occupied the residence during Philadelphia's tenure as the nation's capital.
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified Thursday that President Donald Trump caused the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results, according to his five-hour appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. Smith said Trump "sought to prey" on his supporters and "looked for ways to stay in power," culminating in the assault on the Capitol. "Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump is the person who caused Jan. 6, it was foreseeable to him, and that he sought to exploit the violence," Smith testified.
President Donald Trump's budget office this week ordered most federal agencies to compile data on the federal money sent to 14 mostly Democratic-controlled states and the District of Columbia. According to a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the administration described the effort as a tool to "reduce the improper and fraudulent use of those funds." The order comes one week after Trump said he intended to cut off federal funding to states harboring "sanctuary cities" that resist his immigration policies, with the threatened action to begin Feb. 1. Trump has not disclosed implementation details.
Former special counsel Jack Smith testified Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee to defend his investigations into President Donald Trump, insisting he had acted without political motive. "No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account," Smith said of Trump. The hourslong hearing split immediately along partisan lines, with Republican lawmakers seeking to undermine Smith while Democrats sought to elicit evidence of Trump's conduct.
The Washington Post asked a federal court Wednesday for an order requiring the government to return electronic devices seized from reporter Hannah Natanson's Virginia home. A magistrate judge in Alexandria temporarily blocked the government from reviewing material from the seized devices and scheduled a February 6 hearing on the newspaper's request. The seizure was part of an investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of handling classified documents.
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations of President Donald Trump at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, saying “No one should be above the law.” Smith testified publicly after previously appearing behind closed doors and described the evidence he said prosecutors assembled in separate cases tied to Trump’s 2020 election loss and documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion effort that threatened federal funding to schools and colleges. In a court filing Wednesday, the Education Department moved to dismiss its appeal, leaving in place an August decision by U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher that found the guidance violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules.
Lindsey Halligan, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, left her position Tuesday after federal judges declared her appointment unlawful and issued orders preventing her from continuing in the role.
The Trump administration’s firings and departures of career lawyers at the Justice Department have left many prosecutors and judges describing fear and uncertainty about whether they could be removed for doing their jobs, according to interviews and details from firings described by The Associated Press. The upheaval has continued into Pam Bondi’s early tenure as attorney general, including the dismissal of veteran prosecutor Michael Ben’Ary after he was leading a case tied to the Kabul airport bombing. The AP reported Friday that some of those leaving or being discharged described cases being pulled back, staff shortages and backlogs, and a broader erosion of institutional experience.
A federal judge dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against California seeking detailed voting records and personal data on its 23 million registered voters, saying the request was “unprecedented and illegal.” The judge said the Trump administration “may not unilaterally usurp the authority over elections” without Congress, and warned that consolidating election power would threaten “the right to vote.” California’s top elections official said the state would continue to challenge the lawsuit.
Democrats who appeared in a video urging troops to resist “illegal orders” said Wednesday that they have been contacted by prosecutors as part of an investigation led by the Trump administration. Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia reached out to ask to interview her, after President Donald Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition over the video.
The Justice Department on Tuesday accused a federal judge of abusing his power after he ordered a Trump-appointed prosecutor to explain why she continues to identify herself as a U.S. Attorney despite a ruling that her appointment was illegal. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Lindsey Halligan co-signed the department's response, calling the court's approach "a gross abuse of power and an affront to the separation of powers."
A nonpartisan group backing Georgia prosecutors says a state law being used in the dismissed Fulton County election interference case is likely unconstitutional. In a Wednesday filing, Pete Skandalakis of the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council said the law has “serious and potentially unconstitutional deficiencies,” including limits it places on county governments’ ability to contest fee and cost requests.
The Justice Department has accused a federal judge of abusing his power by pressing a Trump appointee, Lindsey Halligan, to explain why she still identifies as a U.S. attorney for Virginia after a court ruled she was illegally appointed. The dispute has become a separation-of-powers fight over how federal courts should handle Halligan’s continued use of the title.
Democratic lawmakers who urged U.S. service members to resist “illegal orders” in a video message say they have been contacted by the Justice Department in an escalating probe. The lawmakers include Sen. Elissa Slotkin and House members Jason Crow, Chrissy Houlahan, and Maggie Goodlander, who said prosecutors reached out for interviews in recent days.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona sued the Pentagon on Monday, seeking to block a censure issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and halt proceedings that could strip the retired Navy captain of his military rank and cut his retirement pay. Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., arguing that the Jan. 5 censure violated his First Amendment rights by punishing him for participating in a video that called on troops to refuse unlawful orders from the Trump administration. Kelly asked the court to declare the censure, any rank-reduction proceedings, and all related punishments "unlawful and unconstitutional." U.S. District Judge Leon, nominated by Republican President George W. Bush, scheduled a hearing for Thursday on Kelly's request for a temporary restraining order.
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is set to testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee next week about his investigations into President Donald Trump, the panel’s Republican chairman said. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio told Fox News that Smith would appear on Jan. 22, and Smith’s spokesman confirmed the hearing.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly sued the Pentagon on Monday, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is trying to punish him for warnings about “illegal orders” and that the action violates his free-speech rights. Kelly asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., to block a censure letter and related proceedings that could affect his retired military rank and retirement pay.
A federal judge in Seattle blocked most of President Donald Trump’s executive order on elections from being enforced against the vote-by-mail states of Washington and Oregon, according to court filings and lawyers’ statements. The order, issued in March, would require people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote and would require all mail ballots to be received by Election Day.
Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps that a number of critics describe as retribution against officials who opposed the Republican president or did not comply with his preferences, according to an Associated Press review published Monday. The most recent focus is Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said the Justice Department has subpoenaed the central bank and threatened criminal indictments. The review also describes cases involving former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and other former or current government officials.
A federal judge in Seattle on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing most of his executive order on elections against Washington and Oregon, finding that requirements for documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and for all mail ballots to be received by Election Day exceeded the president's constitutional authority.
A judge in upstate New York on Thursday ruled that a Trump administration prosecutor, John Sarcone, was unlawfully serving in the role of acting U.S. attorney, expanding a broader pattern of federal court decisions. The same judge also denied Sarcone’s request for a court order directing the IRS to disclose tax return information in a separate criminal investigation, saying Sarcone lacked the authority to seek the records.
U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield ruled Thursday that a Trump administration prosecutor in upstate New York, John Sarcone, was unlawfully serving and that he lacked authority to seek tax return information in a criminal investigation.
A federal judge in Boston said Friday she expects to temporarily block efforts by the Trump administration to end Family Reunification Parole, a program that has offered temporary legal protections to more than 10,000 family members of U.S. citizens and green card holders. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said she planned to issue a temporary restraining order after a hearing, while scrutinizing whether the government gave adequate written notice to affected people.
A federal judge on Thursday disqualified the Trump administration's acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York from overseeing investigations into state Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that he had no lawful authority to hold the position. U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield blocked subpoenas that John Sarcone had sought seeking information about James' lawsuits against President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association, finding that the Justice Department had circumvented the statutory process for appointing interim prosecutors after district judges declined to extend Sarcone's tenure.
A federal judge in Seattle temporarily blocked the Trump administration from requiring Head Start grant applicants to strip out words associated with diversity, equity and inclusion, and barred the Department of Health and Human Services from laying off additional federal employees in its Office of Head Start. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez issued the order Monday in a lawsuit brought by organizations representing Head Start providers and parents against HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials. The suit accuses the administration of illegally dismantling the six-decade-old early childhood program.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser amended a federal lawsuit Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of waging a "revenge campaign" against the state by cutting federal funds and ending programs after Colorado refused to release Tina Peters, a former Mesa County elections clerk serving a nine-year prison sentence for orchestrating a data breach scheme rooted in false claims about the 2020 election. Weiser linked a series of adverse federal actions directly to the administration's demands that Colorado free Peters and abandon its mail-in voting system.
President Donald Trump has filed a motion seeking $6,261,613.08 in attorney fees and costs from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office after an election-interference case against him was dismissed, according to a filing reported by The Associated Press. The case was dismissed after prosecutors involved in the Georgia racketeering prosecution were removed from it over an “appearance of impropriety” tied to a romantic relationship between Willis and a special prosecutor.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division sued Connecticut and Arizona this week for refusing to provide detailed voter information, bringing to 23 the number of states the department has targeted in a broad effort to obtain voter registration data from states that have declined to comply. The department has also filed suit against the District of Columbia.
A federal judge disqualified a Trump administration prosecutor from overseeing investigations into New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that the prosecutor was not lawfully serving as an acting U.S. attorney. U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, in an order issued Thursday, blocked subpoenas requested by John Sarcone, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
Attorneys for President Donald Trump urged a federal judge to rule that Trump is protected by presidential immunity from civil claims tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta did not rule from the bench after arguments on Friday from Trump lawyers and from lawyers for Democratic members of Congress who brought the case.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has abandoned, at least for now, his effort to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland after courts blocked the initiative at nearly every stage. "We will be back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime spikes again," Trump wrote on social media. "Just a matter of time."
A federal judge blocked a White House effort to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ruling the agency should continue receiving money through the Federal Reserve even as a court fight over layoffs continues. The decision came days before the bureau’s funding would have likely run out, according to the court opinion.
NEW YORK — A federal district court judge blocked the White House from stopping funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ruling that the CFPB should keep getting money from the Federal Reserve, so employees can keep getting paid. The decision came days before the bureau’s funds would have likely run out, according to the court.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused an emergency request by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area, leaving in place a federal judge’s order blocking the plan for now. The justices declined to overturn a ruling by U.S. District Judge April Perry that had stopped the deployment tied to the administration’s immigration crackdown.
A federal district court judge ruled Tuesday that the White House cannot stop funding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through the Federal Reserve, a decision aimed at keeping the CFPB able to pay its employees. The ruling came as the administration argued the bureau would run out of money based on the Fed’s “combined earnings” for the agency.
