On October 30, 2025, the Associated Press revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into whether leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020. The …
Department of JusticeBlack Lives Matter Global Network FoundationU.S. Attorney's Office Central District of CaliforniaTrump Administrationdojcriminal-investigationnonprofit-targetingcivil-societypolitical-prosecution
On October 29, 2025, the Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging Democratic congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and five other activists with conspiracy to impede federal law enforcement officers and forcibly impeding ICE officers during a September 26 protest outside an …
Kat AbughazalehDepartment of JusticeImmigration and Customs EnforcementCatherine SharpMichael Rabbitt+1 moredojindictmentpolitical-prosecutionfirst-amendmentice+1 more
Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James filed coordinated motions challenging the constitutional authority of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan to prosecute their cases, with both challenges consolidated before Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of the District of …
James ComeyLetitia JamesLindsey HalliganJudge Cameron McGowan CurrieErik Siebert+1 moredoj-weaponizationinstitutional-capturerule-of-law-erosionconstitutional-crisisappointments-clause+1 more
The Trump administration established a pattern of targeting political adversaries through the Federal Housing Finance Agency with mortgage fraud investigations. Beyond Letitia James’s indictment, the pattern includes investigations against Fed Governor Lisa Cook and Senator Adam Schiff, all …
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton faces imminent federal indictment on classified materials charges following FBI raids. This represents the third major Trump critic to be indicted in October 2025, following James Comey and Letitia James. The systematic pattern of indictments targeting …
John BoltonFBIDOJTrump Administrationpolitical-prosecutiondoj-weaponizationretaliatory-prosecutionsystematic-corruption
The Justice Department indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution, alleging she misled a bank by stating a Norfolk, Virginia property would be a second home rather than an investment property, saving …
On October 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment alleges that James misrepresented a Norfolk, Virginia home she purchased in …
Letitia JamesDepartment of JusticeDonald TrumpPam BondiU.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Virginia+1 moredojindictmentpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-capturebank-fraud+1 more
A public Truth Social post from Trump intended as a private message to Attorney General Pam Bondi exposed direct presidential control over specific criminal prosecutions. The post explicitly demanded investigations of political enemies, revealing Trump’s hands-on direction of Justice …
Donald TrumpPam BondiDOJdoj-weaponizationinstitutional-capturepolitical-prosecutionrule-of-law-erosion
The Justice Department reassigned prosecutors from North Carolina to lead the case against James Comey following internal upheaval after Trump appointee Lindsey Halligan pushed through the indictment over career prosecutors’ objections. The reassignment followed the purge of two senior …
On October 7, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a contentious oversight hearing marked by sharp Democratic criticism of the Justice Department’s targeting of President Trump’s political opponents. The hearing came one day before former …
Pam BondiSenate Judiciary CommitteeDepartment of JusticeDick DurbinRichard Blumenthal+1 moredojcongressional-oversightpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-captureweaponization+1 more
Two senior prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia were purged after Trump allies targeted their past work and they resisted pressure to charge political enemies. One national security attorney was removed within hours after right-wing activists flagged his résumé; another resisted pressure …
Lindsey HalliganJames ComeyLetitia JamesEastern District of VirginiaCareer Prosecutorsinstitutional-capturedoj-weaponizationrule-of-law-erosionpolitical-prosecution
On October 1, 2025, the Department of Justice fired Michael Ben’Ary, the chief of the national security section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, after pro-Trump activist and writer Julie Kelly posted on social media falsely linking him to internal …
Michael Ben'AryDepartment of JusticeJulie KellyU.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of VirginiaTrump Administrationdojprosecutor-firingpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-capturenational-security+1 more
On September 25, 2025, a federal grand jury charged former FBI Director James Comey with serious crimes related to the disclosure of sensitive information. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the indictment, alleging that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation …
James ComeyPam BondiKash PatelTrump Administrationdojfbijames-comeyindictmentpam-bondi+4 more
On September 25, 2025, Aakash Singh, a senior official in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office, sent a directive to U.S. attorney’s offices in at least seven states—including California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, and Maryland—ordering them to prepare investigations into the …
Department of JusticeGeorge SorosOpen Society FoundationsAakash SinghTodd Blanche+2 moredojpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-capturenonprofit-targetingfirst-amendment+1 more
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
On September 16, 2025, former Special Counsel Jack Smith delivered his first public remarks since leaving the Department of Justice in a speech at George Mason University, warning that “the rule of law is under attack like in no other period in our lifetimes.” NPR exclusively obtained a …
Jack SmithDepartment of JusticeGeorge Mason UniversityTrump Administrationdojrule-of-lawinstitutional-capturepolitical-prosecutionspecial-counsel+1 more
The U.S. Department of Justice formally opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on September 4, 2025, following a criminal referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte. Federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas in Georgia and Michigan to …
Department of JusticeLisa CookPam BondiBill PulteEd Martin+2 moredojfederal-reservecriminal-investigationpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-capture+1 more
Fox News reported on August 5, 2025, that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland launched a federal criminal investigation into Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff for alleged mortgage fraud. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) referred Schiff’s case to DOJ, accusing him of …
Department of JusticeAdam SchiffU.S. Attorney's Office (Maryland)Federal Housing Finance AgencyDonald Trumpinstitutional-capturedojweaponizationretaliationpolitical-prosecution
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
The Justice Department indicted Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman on federal bribery charges in what experts consider a politically motivated prosecution orchestrated by Karl Rove. Republican whistleblower Jill Simpson testified under oath that Rove directed the targeting of Siegelman, …
Don SiegelmanKarl RoveJill SimpsonLeura CanaryWilliam Canary+1 morepolitical-prosecutionkarl-rovesiegelmandoj-abusealabama