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Justice Department’s independence is threatened as Trump’s team asserts power over cases and staff
The Associated Press ^ | February 16, 2025 | BY ERIC TUCKER AND ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

Posted on 02/16/2025 6:46:55 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pam Bondi had insisted at her Senate confirmation hearing that as attorney general, her Justice Department would not “play politics.”

Yet in the month since the Trump administration took over the building, a succession of actions has raised concerns the department is doing exactly that.

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

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

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

“The prospect of the hollowing out of the Justice Department and the (FBI) is now a live and dangerous risk being played out,” said Laufman, the retired prosecutor. “Where it goes from here, we just can’t currently assess.”

(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: alannadurkinricher; apsedition; associatedpantload; associatedpantsload; democrathypocrisy; democratnarrative; democrattabloidnooz; enemieslist; enemyjournalists; erictucker; fjb; incitingsedition; justice; lawfare; letsgobrandon; peterstrzok
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1 posted on 02/16/2025 6:46:55 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What a pantload.


2 posted on 02/16/2025 6:49:07 AM PST by TTFlyer (Lenin: that by the infliction of terror, a well-organized minority can conquer a nation.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I thought the Justice Department was under the direction of the President of the United States. Its independence varies accordingly.


3 posted on 02/16/2025 6:49:59 AM PST by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The AP should be banned from the WH and Air Force 1 until further notice.


4 posted on 02/16/2025 6:50:07 AM PST by Dan in Wichita
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To: TTFlyer

Well, it is coming from the “Associated Pantsload” news agency


5 posted on 02/16/2025 6:50:19 AM PST by Bob434 (...Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
The Justice Department is part of the Executive Branch. They are under the Executive.

6 posted on 02/16/2025 6:50:41 AM PST by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: ComputerGuy

Only when liberals hold power- they can do what they like to the agency- when conservatives are in power, the left think that the right must abide by whatever arbitrary rules the left lays down


7 posted on 02/16/2025 6:51:55 AM PST by Bob434 (...Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

DOJ obviously hijacked by Biden and needed hollowing out. It became a political entity thanks to Biden. Turn about is fair play.


8 posted on 02/16/2025 6:52:43 AM PST by MrRelevant
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

American Pravda strikes again.


9 posted on 02/16/2025 6:53:28 AM PST by fuente (Liberty resides in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box--Fredrick Douglas)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

AP on the outside looking in.


10 posted on 02/16/2025 6:53:33 AM PST by WeaslesRippedMyFlesh
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To: TTFlyer

No, no, you don’t understand. During a Democrat administration, playing politics is called pursuing lawbreakers. During a Republican administration, the terms are reversed. It’s right there in the AP stylebook.


11 posted on 02/16/2025 6:54:12 AM PST by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

The America=hating Democrat/Communist Party is doing what they so often do: attempting to confuse the tens (if not hundreds in today’s America) of millions of voters by conflating “Justice Department” with “Judicial Branch.”


12 posted on 02/16/2025 6:54:20 AM PST by glennaro (2025: The year of America's rebirth as a Great (and Free) Republic)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

USAID only considers the Justice Department as ‘independent’ when they’re destroying the lives of conservatives.


13 posted on 02/16/2025 6:54:22 AM PST by BobL
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To: Bob434

You’re right. Rules for thee.


14 posted on 02/16/2025 6:54:31 AM PST by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Pretty soon there will be no more AP, because USAID is now in control of the State Department. Sorry, folks no more free rides for you at the expense of John Q. Public. Good luck in your future endeavors...


15 posted on 02/16/2025 6:54:48 AM PST by Beave Meister (Leave the gun. Take the cannoli....)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

These same a-holes complaining didn’t seem too concerned when they FBI was spending all their time and resources on arresting anyone who was within a 10 mile radius of the capital on J6. They went completely over the top, for over a year all they did is put up “wanted” ads on their Facebook page while all those Antifa terrorists were completely ignored.


16 posted on 02/16/2025 6:55:21 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free, the USA will never have equal justice under the law)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They weaponized the DOJ and now they reap the whirlwind. It may look political to them, because they are dishonest, but prosecutions are to be expected.


17 posted on 02/16/2025 6:55:22 AM PST by TalBlack (Their god is government. Prepare for a religious war.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

AP.

ALL PROPAGANDA


18 posted on 02/16/2025 6:55:39 AM PST by Pearfect (Ou can't beat the competition lock-e )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Referring to DOJ

“institution that has long prided itself on being driven solely by facts, evidence and the law.”

What total BS. Law is not science not even close. The J6 persecution twisted evidence and law to obtain ridiculous convictions for at most disorderly conduct and perhaps some relatively minor property damage. The proceedings were held in DC which voted over 90% for Biden and they weren’t even allowed to be tried in a more neutral venue.

Stop deluding the public that the legal system functions best when it’s independent. It doesn’t. Any agency, employee or business that operates independently of scrutiny, with little transparency, and without real accountability abuses their position and inevitably becomes corrupt.


19 posted on 02/16/2025 6:56:14 AM PST by grumpygresh ( Civil disobedience by non-compliance; jury and state nullification.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

ap is fake news. Go read article 2 opening paragraph. These folks who think we should have a 4th branch need to follow the Constitution.


20 posted on 02/16/2025 6:56:16 AM PST by Degaston
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