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☆ Fact check: Trump responds to special counsel news with debunked claim about Obama and the Bushes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

They took documents with them. As NARA explained in an August statement, Barack Obama did not take the presidential documents Trump claimed Obama had taken. Again, it was NARA that took the Bushes’ presidential documents to facilities that NARA managed near the future locations of their presidential libraries. Trump’s claim about a bowling alley and restaurantTrump’s suggestion that past presidents’ documents were stored in an insecure manner is also false. Bush’s presidential documents were temporarily stored, in College Station, Texas, was indeed a former bowling alley connected to a former Chinese restaurant.

☆ 'The right thing to do': Garland names special prosecutor for Trump probes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Politics'The right thing to do': Garland names special prosecutor for Trump probesPostedU.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Friday he has named Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor, to serve as special counsel to oversee Justice Department investigations into Donald Trump involving the former president's handling of sensitive documents and potential efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election.

☆ U.S. Attorney General announces appointment of Special Counsel for 'Mar-a-Lago Case' and aspects of Jan. 6 investigation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailU.S. Attorney General announces appointment of Special Counsel for 'Mar-a-Lago Case' and aspects of Jan. 6 investigationU.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces the appointment of a Special Counsel for the Mar-a-Lago documents case and certain key aspects of the January 6th investigation.

☆ Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing DOJ's Trump cases, is a former war crimes investigator who prosecuted election crimes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Since 2018, Smith had served as the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague where he investigated war crimes in Kosovo. Since 2018, Smith had served as the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague where he investigated war crimes in Kosovo. Smith's prosecutorial career began nearly three decades ago when he started as an assistant district attorney with the New York County District Attorney's Office in 1994. Smith served with the International Criminal Court from 2008 to 2010 and it was there where he supervised all war crimes investigations conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor. Smith served as the vice president of litigation for the Hospital Corporation of America — the nation's biggest non-governmental healthcare provider — from 2017 to 2018.

☆ Attorney General Merrick Garland names Jack Smith special counsel in Trump criminal probes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named former federal prosecutor Jack Smith as special counsel for two ongoing criminal investigations by the Department of Justice of former President Donald Trump. Smith's appointment came three days after Trump, a Republican, announced plans to run for president in 2024. Trump's move directly led to Garland's decison to appoint a special counsel, who will recommend whether criminal charges should be lodged against the ex-president. The attorney general himself was appointed by Biden, a Democrat who defeated Trump in his 2020 re-election bid. "Mr. Smith is the right choice to complete these matters in an even-handed and urgent matter," Garland said.

WASHINGTON — House Republicans' majority will be smaller than expected, but they're eager to use their new oversight powers and pass a spate of bills to draw contrasts with Democrats and give the Biden administration heartburn. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., joined by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., left, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, in Washington on July 21, 2021. A growing number of Republicans say they have their sights set on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, bashing his handling of the border surge. LegislationDemocrats still occupy the White House, so any legislation Republicans pass on a partisan basis won’t be signed into law by Biden. But House Republicans say they will waste no time showing the parties’ stark differences as they battle for control of the White House in 2024.

A Chinese intelligence officer convicted of conspiring and attempting to steal sensitive trade secrets from a U.S. company was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison. The Justice Department had asked that Yanjun Xu, 42, get 25 years behind bars for his "very extensive" yearslong scheme to steal secrets from U.S. aviation companies. Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileXu is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges, Justice Department officials said. "Xu targeted multiple employees at multiple international aviation companies over multiple years. They noted that his scheme to steal secrets from GE wasn’t successful and said he was just following his country's orders.

☆ Donald Trump launched a third bid for president at a time when his legal troubles have never been worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Trump announced his 3rd presidential bid in the same place that federal agents view as a suspected crime scene. With midterms over, the Justice Department could soon signal its next steps. The Justice Department has pursued its investigations undeterred by Trump's signaling plans for a third presidential bid, and his formal campaign launch will not protect him. The Justice Department could soon signal its next steps. Ahead of the midterms, Republicans warned that they would wield committees to mount oversight investigations and grill the Justice Department and FBI about investigations involving Trump.

☆ Trump's 2024 bid puts the DOJ in a tough position as it continues its investigations into the former president
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump has officially launched his bid for the presidency in 2024. He still faces multiple ongoing Justice Department investigations. The former president, who formally launched his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination on Tuesday, is facing multiple probes from state and federal authorities. These include Justice Department investigations into his retention of classified documents after leaving office and his bid to prevent Joe Biden from taking power in 2020. "We pursue justice without fear or favor," he told NBC News in July, with regards to the DOJ's January 6 probe.

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court in Cincinnati sentenced a Chinese national to 20 years in prison on Wednesday after he was convicted last year of plotting to steal trade secrets from several U.S. aviation and aerospace companies, the Justice Department said. Xu Yanjun, the first Chinese spy extradited to the United States for trial, was convicted in Nov. 2021 by a federal jury on counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage and trade secret theft. Xu, 42, accused of being a career intelligence officer for China's Ministry of State Security, was detained in Belgium in 2018 after a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. officials say the Chinese government poses the biggest long-term threat to U.S. economic and national security, and is carrying out unprecedented efforts to steal critical technology from U.S. businesses and researchers. FBI Director Christopher Wray has said his agency opens a new counterintelligence case related to China about twice a day.

☆ The notable legal clouds that continue to hang over Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

CNN —All eyes are on former President Donald Trump, whose third White House bid has already become mired in controversy. The Justice Department investigation continues into whether documents from the Trump White House were illegally mishandled when they were brought to Mar-a-Lago in Florida after he left office. Any unauthorized retention or destruction of White House documents could violate a criminal law that prohibits the removal or destruction of official government records, legal experts told CNN. During the panel’s hearings this summer, fingers were pointed at GOP lawmakers and Trump allies who tried to help overturn the election and Trump White House officials who failed to stop the former president’s actions. Recently, DOJ moved to compel additional testimony from former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls for Ticketmaster-Live Nation 'monopoly' to be broken up in response to Taylor Swift pre-sale controversy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift's upcoming "Eras" tour went on sale Tuesday. Ocasio-Cortez took the opportunity to voice longstanding concern about the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster, the ticket sales and distribution company, and Live Nation, the events promoter and venue operator, into Live Nation Entertainment. "We write in support of strong antitrust enforcement by the Biden Administration, including the live event ticket sales marketplace," the letter begins. Social media influencer Ellie Schnitt tweeted, "When Taylor Swift wrote 'the great war' she was actually preparing us for the Battle of Ticketmaster." — Taylor Swift, but also Ticketmaster after its site crashed.

☆ Donald Trump launches his 2024 presidential campaign in a bid to seize early momentum
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he attends a rally in Warren, Michigan, October 1, 2022. created the Donald J. Trump for President 2024, and officially launched the 2024 Republican presidential primary, a contest where the dynamics have shifted dramatically in the past week. The Florida governor has reportedly met with donors and started assembling his own presidential campaign to challenge Trump for the GOP nomination. Biden has yet to formally launch his reelection campaign, but plans for a campaign have reportedly solidified in recent weeks. Federal Election Commission rules prohibit Trump from using the leadership PAC money to directly finance his presidential campaign.

The sources say Justice Department officials are looking carefully at a cross section of past cases involving the mishandling of classified material. Though his comments were about the separate Jan. 6 investigation, Justice Department officials said they apply broadly. Experts say the public evidence in the Mar-a-Lago case seems unambiguous. Less clear is whether there are aggravating factors — such as whether the Justice Department can prove Trump obstructed justice by failing to turn over documents despite a grand jury subpoena. Martin’s lawyers said he was a hoarder, and prosecutors concluded that he had not given classified information to anyone.

☆ U.S. charges Haitian gang leaders for 2021 missionary kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The United States has unsealed charges against a group of Haitian gang leaders, including three men involved in last year's kidnapping of U.S. missionaries, the Department of Justice said on Monday. Joseph Wilson, known as Lanmo Sanjou, and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, of the 400 Mawozo gang that took responsibility for the October 2021 kidnapping, were charged with hostage taking and conspiracy to commit hostage taking. Vitel'homme Innocent, leader of a Kraze Barye gang, worked with 400 Mawozo on the kidnapping, the DOJ said. The DOJ also unsealed charges against four other Haitian gang members for separate kidnappings involving U.S. citizens, who it did not identify. Earlier this year, Haiti's police said that 400 Mawozo leader Germine Joly, aka 'Yonyon,' was extradited to the United States following a request by the U.S. authorities.

☆ Nationwide catalytic converter theft ring made hundreds of millions of dollars, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Jonathan_Dienst_Byline.Jpg | Jonathan Dienst | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the Justice Department has today carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nation-wide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Thieves made off with 12 times as many catalytic converters in 2021 as they did in 2019, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. On his Instagram account, he posted a photo of a necklace with a pendant made to look like a catalytic converter. Prosecutors say that was among the businesses allegedly purchasing stolen catalytic converters and reselling them. Technician Adelmo Rodriguez etches a catalytic converter with a license plate number in Huntington Beach, Calif, in 2021.

☆ U.S. announces takedown of massive catalytic converter theft ring
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Wednesday said they have taken down a nationwide ring to steal thousands of catalytic converters from cars and trucks, charging 21 people and seizing millions of dollars in assets. Catalytic converters are vehicle exhaust devices that convert toxic gases into safer emissions. Authorities are seeking the forfeiture of that sum, after seizing other assets including homes, bank accounts, luxury vehicles and cash. "They made hundreds of millions of dollars in the process -- on the backs of thousands of innocent car owners." Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The surge in restrictive housing — informally known as solitary confinement — has perplexed BOP Director Colette Peters, who told NBC News that she "asked the same question when we saw the numbers come forward, so I'm curious as well." Colette Peters, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Sept. 29. The federal government houses more than 142,000 inmates in its custody across the United States. It really is limiting the use of restrictive housing when absolutely necessary," Peters said. "We know so much more now from research around what solitary confinement can do to the hearts and minds of those there, and so this is something we need to take very seriously."

☆ Threats against judges skyrocketed during the Trump era, and experts are now fearing for the worst
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Federal judges involved in matters related to the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago have also faced threats. The number of logged threats to judges and other officials nearly doubled early in the Trump era. He's a hater," Trump said of Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a 2012 appointee to the federal trial court in San Diego. But, as the threats to the federal judges in South Florida showed, the trend is extending down through the lower courts. It declined to give a broader assessment for the increase in threats to judges and other Marshals Service protectees.

New York CNN Business —Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday that the Justice Department formally introduced regulations barring department employees from secretly seeking journalists’ records except in limited circumstances. Within CNN, the Trump administration secretly sought and obtained the 2017 phone and email records of Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. The Biden Justice Department informed Starr last May that prosecutors had obtained her records covering two months between June 1, 2017 and July 30, 2017. Under previous DOJ regulations, investigators could secretly obtain journalists’ records through a court order without the journalists’ knowledge. After news organizations first reported the records seizures in the summer 2021, President Joe Biden vowed to end the practice.

☆ Top Arizona election official refers more cases of potential voter intimidation to law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has referred six reports of possible voter intimidation to law enforcement in the past week, as well as an allegation of harassment of an election worker, her office said Monday. The cases were referred to the state attorney general’s office and the U.S. Justice Department for further investigation. Early voting got underway Oct. 12 in the battleground state, where Hobbs is the Democratic nominee for governor. Hobbs’ office said it also referred a report of election worker harassment to law enforcement Saturday. The case is being pursued by the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was launched in June 2021.

☆ 2 Chinese agents tried to bribe an undercover FBI agent with $61,000 in Bitcoin in an attempt to steal classified information: DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal prosecutors say two Chinese agents tried to bribe a government worker to steal information. The duo wanted to obtain secrets about an investigation into a Chinese telecommunications firm. The person they tried to bribe was an undercover FBI agent. He Guochun and Wang Zheng offered an unnamed government employee $61,000 in Bitcoin for secret information regarding the prosecution of a big Chinese telecommunications firm, prosecutors said. He is also charged with two counts of money laundering because of the $61,000 bribe, the complaint said.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterChinese nationals Guochun He and Zheng Wang were charged with trying to interfere in the prosecution, the prosecutors said. Court documents did not name the company, but the complaint referenced the same dates in which the U.S. unsealed its charges against Huawei, in 2019 and 2020. In addition to the case against the two Chinese nationals accused of interfering in the Huawei prosecution, the Justice Department also announced charges in two other schemes. The second case charges four Chinese nationals out of New Jersey with running a decade-long intelligence campaign, while the third accuses seven others of waging a harassment campaign against a U.S. resident in a bid to convince him to return to China. Of the 13 people charged, 10 are Chinese intelligence officers and Chinese government officials.

Prosecutors charged Chinese nationals Guochun He and Zheng Wang with trying to interfere in prosecution of an international telecommunications company. While court documents did not name the company, a person familiar with the investigation said they were trying to interfere with the prosecution of Huawei (HWT.UL). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA spokesperson for Huawei could not be reached for comment on Monday. Prosecutors also unveiled charges against four Chinese nationals in what they called a long-running intelligence campaign. The complaint against He and Wang alleges they tried to obtain confidential information concerning witnesses, trial evidence and any potential new charges the company could face.

☆ Garland to hold news conference on 'significant national security cases'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland will hold a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss "significant national security cases addressing malign influence schemes and alleged criminal activity by a nation-state actor in the United States," the Department of Justice announced in an advisory. ET, and will be joined by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen and other Justice Department officials. The advisory didn't provide any additional details about the case, including what the alleged criminal activity entails or what foreign country or countries may be involved. Justice Department officials generally avoid taking law enforcement action that could affect voting within 60 days of an election. It's unclear if the announcement Monday is related in any way to the upcoming election.

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