Justice Department whistleblower Erez Reuveni, a 15-year DOJ attorney, revealed in October 2025 testimony that senior officials ordered him to fabricate terrorist claims in court briefs to justify the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. Reuveni was told to argue in legal …
Erez ReuveniEmil BoveKilmar Abrego GarciaDepartment of JusticeTrump+1 moreobstruction-of-justicefalse-evidenceinstitutional-corruptionabuse-of-power
On September 20, 2025, Erik Siebert resigned as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after President Trump publicly stated he wanted Siebert “out” following a monthslong mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James that failed to produce …
Erik SiebertDonald TrumpDepartment of JusticeLetitia JamesMaya Song+1 moredojprosecutor-firingpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-captureprosecutorial-independence+1 more
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to release Epstein-related banking records covering at least $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions between 2003 and 2019. The Treasury files include suspicious activity reports detailing over 4,700 wire …
Ron WydenScott BessentTreasury DepartmentSenate Finance CommitteeJeffrey Epsteinobstruction-of-justiceinstitutional-captureelite-impunityfinancial-corruption
McKinsey & Company agrees to pay $650 million to settle federal criminal and civil investigations into its role in helping Purdue Pharma ’turbocharge’ sales of OxyContin, the highly addictive opioid painkiller at the center of America’s overdose epidemic. This marks the first …
McKinsey & CompanyU.S. Department of JusticePurdue PharmaMartin EllingFood and Drug Administration (FDA)mckinseyopioid-crisispurdue-pharmaconsulting-scandalcorporate-crime+4 more
President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter Biden covering all potential federal crimes from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, reversing repeated public promises not to interfere. The pardon covers Hunter’s June conviction for lying on gun purchase forms while …
Joe BidenHunter BidenDavid WeissDepartment of Justicepresidential-pardonfamily-enrichmentobstruction-of-justiceabuse-of-power
IRS supervisory agent Gary Shapley and case agent Joseph Ziegler testified before House Oversight Committee that the Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden was ‘slow walked’ with political interference. They alleged prosecutors blocked scrutiny of Joe Biden’s potential …
Gary ShapleyJoseph ZieglerHunter BidenDavid WeissHouse Oversight Committeeoversightobstruction-of-justicewhistleblowerpolitical-interference
DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari disclosed Secret Service erased text messages from January 5-6, 2021, during a “device replacement program” after oversight officials requested electronic communications. Despite requesting month of records for 24 personnel, Secret Service provided …
U.S. Secret ServiceJoseph CuffariJames Murray (Secret Service Director)Bennie ThompsonLiz Cheneyobstruction-of-justicefederal-records-actcoverupjanuary-6-investigationevidence-destruction+2 more
Trump attorney Christina Bobb signed a certification stating that all classified documents
requested by the May 11 grand jury subpoena had been returned to the government. The
attestation, drafted by Evan Corcoran, proved false when the FBI found 103 additional
classified documents during the August …
Christina BobbEvan CorcoranDonald TrumpDepartment of Justiceclassified-documentsfalse-statementsobstruction-of-justicemar-a-lagocriminal-investigation
A federal grand jury issued a subpoena requiring Trump to return all documents “bearing
classification markings” in his possession. This legal demand came after the National
Archives discovered classified materials in boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago. Trump’s
alleged failure to …
Donald TrumpDepartment of JusticeFederal grand juryclassified-documentsgrand-jurysubpoenaobstruction-of-justicemar-a-lago
The National Archives retrieved 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago containing 184 classified documents
totaling 700 pages, including 25 marked “top secret,” 92 “secret,” and 67 “confidential.”
Documents included CIA, FBI, and NSA materials on national security topics, some …
Donald TrumpNational ArchivesDepartment of Justiceclassified-documentsmar-a-lagonational-archivesobstruction-of-justicepresidential-records
DOJ official Jeffrey Clark sent Signal messages to Rep. Scott Perry admitting that a highly classified briefing on foreign election interference “yielded nothing” to support stolen election claims, writing “Bottom line is there is nothing helpful to P” (referring to the …
Jeffrey ClarkScott PerryDonald TrumpDepartment of Justicejeffrey-clarkscott-perrysignal-messagesjanuary-6doj-corruption+2 more
President Trump issued a full pardon to his first National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty twice to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 transition. The pardon came after Flynn, represented by conspiracy theorist attorney …
Donald TrumpMichael FlynnSidney PowellEmmet SullivanWilliam Barrpardonsrussia-investigationobstruction-of-justicecorruptionturkey
President Trump commuted Roger Stone’s 40-month prison sentence days before he was to report to prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering to protect Trump. Stone was convicted on seven felonies for obstructing the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia investigation, lying about …
Donald TrumpRoger StoneWilliam BarrRandy CredicoWikiLeaksobstruction-of-justicecommutationrussia-investigationwitness-tamperingcorruption
President Trump removed Glenn Fine from his position as acting inspector general for the Defense Department on April 7, 2020, just one week after Fine was selected to chair the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee tasked with overseeing the $2.2 trillion CARES Act stimulus spending. The …
Donald TrumpGlenn FineCarolyn MaloneyMitt RomneyStephen Lynchinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisiscovid-19+1 more
Principal Deputy Inspector General Christi Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services released a report on April 6, 2020, documenting “severe shortages” of COVID-19 testing supplies and “widespread shortages” of personal protective equipment at hospitals nationwide. …
Christi GrimmDonald TrumpJason WeidaDepartment of Health and Human Servicesinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisiscovid-19+1 more
Attorney General Bill Barr personally intervened to reduce sentencing recommendations for Trump allies Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, causing four career prosecutors to withdraw from Stone’s case in protest and one to resign from DOJ entirely. After prosecutors recommended 7-9 years for …
Bill BarrRoger StoneMichael FlynnDonald TrumpDepartment of Justiceobstruction-of-justiceabuse-of-powerrule-of-lawcorruptionpoliticization
President Trump orchestrated a coordinated purge of impeachment witnesses on February 7, 2020, just two days after his Senate acquittal, firing both Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland in unmistakable retaliation for their truthful congressional testimony. Vindman, the …
Donald TrumpAlexander VindmanYevgeny VindmanGordon SondlandDavid Pressman+1 moreinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisimpeachment+1 more
Mark Sandy, a career Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official serving as deputy associate director for national security programs, testified to House impeachment investigators on November 16, 2019, revealing that two of his OMB colleagues resigned in protest over concerns that Trump’s …
Mark SandyMichael DuffeyDonald TrumpOffice of Management and Budget (OMB)inspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisukraine+1 more
A federal jury convicted longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone on all seven counts: one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements to Congress, and one count of witness tampering. The conviction stemmed from Stone’s efforts to obstruct the House …
Roger StoneDonald TrumpJerome CorsiRandy CredicoWikiLeaks+1 moremueller investigationwikileaksobstruction of justicewitness tamperingcongressional lies+2 more
President Trump announced via Twitter on July 28, 2019, that Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats would resign effective August 15, ending a tumultuous two-year tenure marked by fundamental conflicts over Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and ongoing threats to American …
Dan CoatsDonald TrumpJohn RatcliffeVladimir Putininspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisintelligence community+1 more
President Trump ordered the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Ukraine on April 24, 2019, with her recall becoming public on May 7, following a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko, …
Marie YovanovitchDonald TrumpRudy GiulianiYuriy LutsenkoLev Parnas+2 moreinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisukraine+1 more
The Department of Justice released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 448-page Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, the culmination of a 22-month investigation that issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, and …
Robert MuellerDonald TrumpWilliam BarrRussian Governmentmueller investigationobstruction of justicerussia interferencepresidential accountabilityimpeachment+1 more
Attorney General William Barr released a four-page letter to Congress purporting to summarize the 448-page Mueller Report’s “principal conclusions” just 48 hours after receiving it. Barr’s summary fundamentally mischaracterized the report’s findings on obstruction of …
William BarrRobert MuellerDonald TrumpRod Rosensteinmueller investigationobstruction of justiceattorney general corruptiondisinformationaccountability crisis+1 more
The New York Times reported on January 25, 2018, that President Donald Trump had ordered White House Counsel Don McGahn in June 2017 to direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to remove Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and that McGahn had refused and threatened to resign rather than carry out …
Donald TrumpDon McGahnRod RosensteinRobert Muellerobstruction of justicemueller investigationwhite house counselpresidential abuse of powerdon mcgahn+1 more
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI regarding his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition. Flynn became the first White House official and the highest-ranking Trump administration member …
Michael FlynnRobert MuellerSergey KislyakDonald TrumpTransition Teammueller investigationobstruction of justicerussia contactsguilty pleaflynn-kislyak+2 more
Trump called White House Counsel Don McGahn at home and directed him to call Acting Attorney General and say Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed. McGahn refused, deciding he would resign rather than trigger what he viewed as potential “Saturday Night Massacre” …
Donald TrumpDon McGahnRod RosensteinRob Porterobstruction-of-justicemueller-investigationsaturday-night-massacrewitness-tamperingdocument-falsification+2 more
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III as Special Counsel on May 17, 2017, to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any links between the Trump campaign and Russia—just 8 days after Trump fired FBI Director …
Robert MuellerRod RosensteinDonald TrumpJames ComeyJeff Sessionsmueller-investigationobstruction-of-justicerussia-investigationspecial-counselrosenstein
Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while under FBI investigation for Russian connections. Day after firing, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak in Oval Office that he had “faced great pressure because of Russia” which had been “taken off” by …
Donald TrumpJames ComeySergey LavrovSergey KislyakRod Rosensteinobstruction-of-justicereferee-neutralizationrussia-investigationfbiinstitutional-capture+1 more
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes made a secret visit to the White House grounds on March 21, 2017—the night before he dramatically announced he had seen intelligence suggesting Trump associates were “incidentally collected” in surveillance. Nunes viewed classified …
President Trump fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on March 11, 2017, after Bharara refused to resign when ordered to do so—breaking Trump’s direct promise made just months earlier at Trump Tower to allow Bharara to keep his position. Bharara, the highly respected U.S. Attorney for the Southern …
Donald TrumpPreet BhararaMarc KasowitzJeff SessionsRoger Ailes+1 moreobstruction-of-justicecorruptionabuse-of-powerconflicts-of-interestfox-news
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on March 2, 2017, that he would recuse himself from any investigations related to the 2016 presidential campaign, including Russian interference, following The Washington Post’s revelation that Sessions had lied under oath about his contacts with …
Jeff SessionsDonald TrumpSergey KislyakDana BoenteRod Rosensteinperjuryrussia-investigationrecusalobstruction-of-justicesessions
The day after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned for lying about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, President Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials—including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and senior advisor Jared Kushner—and asked FBI Director James Comey …
Donald TrumpJames ComeyMichael FlynnJared KushnerJeff Sessionsobstruction of justicemueller investigationcomey firingflynn investigationpresidential abuse of power+1 more
National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned on February 13, 2017, after just 24 days in office—the shortest tenure in the 63-year history of the position. Flynn’s resignation came after revelations that he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence, other White House officials, and the FBI …
Michael FlynnDonald TrumpMike PenceSally YatesSergey Kislyak+1 morerussia-investigationobstruction-of-justiceflynnperjurynational-security-risk
President Trump fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates within hours of her instructing Justice Department attorneys not to defend Executive Order 13769 (the Muslim ban). Yates had sent a letter to DOJ staff stating she was “not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent …
Donald TrumpSally YatesDana BoenteJeff SessionsRudy Giulianirule-of-lawdoj-politicizationobstruction-of-justiceauthoritarianismmuslim-ban+1 more
Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, is convicted on 4 of 5 federal counts related to the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame’s identity: obstruction of justice, two counts of perjury, and one count of making false statements to federal …
Lewis 'Scooter' LibbyPatrick FitzgeraldDick CheneyGeorge W. BushValerie Plame+1 moreplame-affairobstruction-of-justiceperjurycheneyiraq-war+2 more
The Bush administration fired 9 U.S. attorneys in an unprecedented midterm purge for what investigators determined were largely political reasons. Seven prosecutors were ordered to resign on December 7, 2006, including David Iglesias (New Mexico), Carol Lam (Southern California), and John McKay …
Alberto GonzalesKarl RoveDavid IglesiasCarol LamGeorge W. Bush+1 moreobstruction-of-justicepolitical-prosecutiondojgonzalesauthoritarianism
CIA National Clandestine Service director Jose Rodriguez orders the destruction of 92 videotapes documenting hundreds of hours of brutal interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri at secret CIA black sites. The tapes contain graphic evidence of waterboarding, stress positions, and …
Jose RodriguezCIAGina HaspelAbu ZubaydahAbd al-Rahim al-Nashiri+1 moretortureciaobstruction-of-justiceevidence-destructionwar-crimes+2 more
Scott Bloch, Special Counsel at the Office of Special Counsel (2004-2008), systematically dismantled federal whistleblower protections by dismissing over 1,000 whistleblower disclosures without investigation. Coalition of whistleblower groups documented his 95% dismissal rate, with only 25 of 530 …
Scott BlochOSCWhistleblower GroupsCongressFBIwhistleblower-suppressionoscobstruction-of-justicescott-bloch
Conservative columnist Robert Novak published his ‘Mission to Niger’ column exposing Valerie Plame as a CIA operative, citing ’two senior administration officials’ later identified as Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and White House advisor Karl Rove. The leak was …
On June 15, 2002, a federal jury convicted Arthur Andersen LLP of obstruction of justice for shredding thousands of Enron-related documents. The verdict effectively destroyed one of the world’s most prestigious accounting firms, eliminating 85,000 jobs globally and marking the last time a …
Arthur AndersenDepartment of Justicecorporate-fraudenronobstruction-of-justicearthur-andersencorporate-accountability
On March 14, 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of Arthur Andersen LLP on one count of obstruction of justice for destroying “literally tons of paper documents and other electronic information” related to the Enron collapse. The indictment, handed down by a …
Arthur AndersenDepartment of JusticeMichael Chertoffcorporate-fraudenronobstruction-of-justicearthur-andersencriminal-prosecution
On January 9, 2002, Arthur Andersen, one of the “Big Five” accounting firms, publicly admitted that its employees had destroyed “several tons” of Enron-related documents and deleted nearly 30,000 emails and computer files during October and November 2001. CEO Joseph Berardino …
Arthur AndersenJoseph BerardinoDavid Duncancorporate-fraudenronobstruction-of-justicearthur-andersenaccounting-fraud
The U.S. House of Representatives votes to impeach President Bill Clinton on two articles: perjury before a grand jury (Article I, passed 228-206) and obstruction of justice (Article II, passed 221-212). Clinton becomes the second American president to be impeached, the first being Andrew Johnson in …
Bill ClintonHouse RepublicansKenneth Starrimpeachmentpresidential-accountabilityconstitutional-crisisperjuryobstruction-of-justice
President George H.W. Bush issues sweeping pardons to six Iran-Contra defendants on Christmas Eve, twelve days before former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s trial was scheduled to begin. The pardons cover Weinberger, former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, former Assistant …
George H.W. BushCaspar WeinbergerRobert McFarlaneElliott AbramsLawrence Walshiran-contrapresidential-pardonsobstruction-of-justiceaccountabilitycover-up
Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is indicted by a federal grand jury on five felony counts of lying to Congress and investigators about the Iran-Contra scandal, marking the highest-ranking Reagan administration official charged in the affair. Independent counsel Lawrence Walsh brings the …
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North is convicted on May 4, 1989, of three felony charges stemming from his central role in the Iran-Contra scandal: accepting an illegal gratuity (a security fence for his home), aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and ordering the …
Oliver NorthGerhard GesellLawrence Walshiran-contrareagan-administrationobstruction-of-justiceaccountabilitylegal-immunity
National Security Council staff member Oliver North and his secretary Fawn Hall begin systematically shredding documents that would expose illegal activities related to arms sales to Iran and the diversion of proceeds to Nicaraguan Contra rebels. The five-day document destruction campaign, running …
Oliver NorthFawn HallJohn Poindexteriran-contrareagan-administrationobstruction-of-justicecover-upcovert-operations
On February 21, 1975, former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2.5 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up. All three men had been convicted of every count against them—a total of 14 felonies …
H.R. HaldemanJohn EhrlichmanJohn N. MitchellJohn Siricawatergateobstruction-of-justiceaccountabilityinstitutional-corruptionabuse-of-power
Under order from the Supreme Court’s unanimous July 24 decision in United States v. Nixon, President Nixon released the tape recording of his June 23, 1972 conversation with Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman on August 5, 1974. The tape provided irrefutable proof that Nixon had ordered the CIA to …
Richard NixonH.R. HaldemanHouse Judiciary CommitteeRepublican Partywatergateobstruction-of-justiceabuse-of-powerinstitutional-corruptionaccountability-failure
On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that President Richard M. Nixon be impeached and removed from office, adopting Article I (Obstruction of Justice) by a vote of 27-11 at 7:07pm in Room 2141 of the Rayburn Office Building. The first article charged Nixon with engaging in a …
House Judiciary CommitteePeter RodinoRobert McCloryRichard Nixonwatergatecongressional-oversightobstruction-of-justiceabuse-of-powerimpeachment