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Tag: Biden’s DOJ
May 1, 2024
Lawfare

Who is Matthew Colangelo? Congress Launches Probe into Obama-Linked Trump Prosecutor.

The House Judiciary Committee has initiated an investigation into Matthew Colangelo, a top prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s case against former President Donald J. Trump. Colangelo previously served in a senior role as an attorney with the Biden government’s Department of Justice (DOJ). It is suspected that he may serve as a go-between for federal officials and the District Attorney’s office.

Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, is requesting communications and other records related to Colangelo‘s employment with Biden‘s DOJ. “The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials,” Chairman Jordan wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. He continued: “Since last year, popularly elected prosecutors—who campaigned for office on the promise of prosecuting President Trump—engaged in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current leading candidate for that office.”

WHO IS MATTHEW COLANGELO?

Colangelo has featured prominently in the hush money trial, even delivering opening arguments for the prosecution team. The former DOJ attorney told the court that they would present evidence implicating Trump in a “criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” The former federal attorney’s work against conservatives and Republican lawmakers dates back to the Obama government, where Colangelo served in the DOJ’s Voting Section.

While working in the Voting Section, Colangelo coordinated with the infamous left-wing groups Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and Project Vote to pressure law enforcement to target conservative political candidates.

Former President Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records. These charges are typically misdemeanors. However, Bragg and his prosecutors are using a dubious legal theory to boost the charges to felonies. They contend that the misdemeanors were committed in the course of breaking federal election law. Trump has neither been charged nor convicted of any federal election violations by either the Federal Election Commission or Biden’s DOJ.

The National Pulse has reported that much of District Attorney Bragg’s strategy appears to hinge on the credibility of disgraced attorney Michael Cohen, whom a federal judge accused of being “perverse.”

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The House Judiciary Committee has initiated an investigation into Matthew Colangelo, a top prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against former President Donald J. Trump. Colangelo previously served in a senior role as an attorney with the Biden government's Department of Justice (DOJ). It is suspected that he may serve as a go-between for federal officials and the District Attorney's office. show more
April 30, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare
Politics

Trump: ‘I’d Consider Pardon for EVERY J6 Prisoner.’

Former President Donald J. Trump says he would consider a pardon for each of the January 6 defendants either currently imprisoned or being prosecuted by the Biden government. The former President made the commitment during a recent interview, lamenting what he sees as a ‘two-tier justice system.’

“[W]hen I look at Portland, when I look at Minneapolis, where they took over police precincts and everything else, and went after federal buildings, when I look at other situations that were violent, and where people were killed, nothing happened to them,” Trump said during an interview with TIME Magazine. He continued: “Nothing happened to them. I think it’s a two-tier system of justice. I think it’s a very, very sad thing.”

The former Republican President went on to note that the only individual who died as a direct result of the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building was protestor Ashli Babbitt. Last November, the Black Lives Matter activist — John Sullivan, a.k.a Jayden X— who filmed Babbitt’s death inside the Capitol, was convicted for his role in inciting protestors to riot. The National Pulse previously reported in January that Babbitt’s family has filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against Capitol Police Officer Lt. Michael Byrd.

Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA) recently claimed that his investigation into the events leading up to the January 6 riots suggests federal law enforcement may have played a more significant role in instigating the violence than previously stated. The Louisiana Republican said he’d uncovered evidence that federal agents were active in online chat groups with U.S. military veterans prior to their involvement in the protest that day.

Currently, the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing whether Biden’s Department of Justice has abused a financial crimes statute to enhance the felony ‘obstruction‘ charges against the rioters.

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Former President Donald J. Trump says he would consider a pardon for each of the January 6 defendants either currently imprisoned or being prosecuted by the Biden government. The former President made the commitment during a recent interview, lamenting what he sees as a 'two-tier justice system.' show more
April 26, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

GOP Rep Sounds Alarm Over Biden DOJ Oversight of Trump Prosecution.

Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) wants answers from the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office regarding the circumstances of Michael Colangelo’s departure from the former and subsequent employment with the latter. The Texas Republican contends that Colangelo could be a go-between, facilitating the DOJ‘s oversight and control of Bragg’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

“The politicized persecution of former President Trump and the collusion between the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Manhattan District Attorney (DA) General’s Office have raised several concerns among the public,” Rep. Gooden wrote to Biden‘s Attorney General Merrick Garland and Bragg earlier this week. He continued, zeroing in on Bragg’s hiring of Colangelo: “The fact that Colangelo stepped down from a senior DOJ role to join a prosecution team in a city DA office raises some pressing concerns.”

“To ensure transparency and accountability are upheld in this case, I request immediate access to all records and communication in relation to the Department of Justice and the Manhattan District Attorney General’s Office process of hiring Matthew Colangelo,” the Texas Republican added.

Colangelo formerly served as the Acting Associate Attorney General in the Biden DOJ. This highly coveted position is viewed as a stepping stone to lucrative private sector jobs such as general counsel with a Fortune 500 company. However, as Gooden notes in his letter to Garland and Bragg, Colangelo effectively took a demotion in leaving the DOJ and joining Bragg’s team as senior counsel.

Gooden specifically asks both Garland and Bragg: “Was Mr. Colangelo asked to leave by the DOJ, or did he accept a position in a lower office voluntarily? ” He also asks both men for details regarding continued communication between Colangelo and his former DOJ colleagues.

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Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) wants answers from the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office regarding the circumstances of Michael Colangelo's departure from the former and subsequent employment with the latter. The Texas Republican contends that Colangelo could be a go-between, facilitating the DOJ's oversight and control of Bragg's prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

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Michael Dreeben
April 25, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

DID YOU NOTICE? Biden DOJ’s SCOTUS Attorney Was Also Robert Mueller’s Russiagate Lead.

The attorney representing special counsel Jack Smith before the United States Supreme Court‘s hearing over former President Donald Trump‘s presidential immunity claim was also a ringleader behind the Russia collusion hoax. Michael Dreeben, a federal attorney with the Department of Justice (DOJ), was revealed in 2018 as the primary legal mind behind special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into allegations that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.

Dreeben has a long track record of partisan lawfare. Prior to his tenure at the DOJ, he served as a staffer to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). It was Dreeben who, despite the Mueller team knowing that the Russian collusion accusations were false, engineered the legal strategy of pursuing Trump over “obstruction of justice” for opposing the Democrats‘ witch hunt.

In addition to his stint on the Mueller team, Dreeben advised former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance on his “get Trump” operation. Interestingly, Mark Pomerantz was also working with Cyrus Vance at the time and would have likely interacted with Dreeben. Pomerantz likely pushed current Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg into pursuing the hush money charges against Trump, which are currently being heard at trial.

The DOJ attorney has argued over 100 cases before the Supreme Court while working in the U.S. Solicitor General’s office. Late last year, conservative commentator Molly Hemmingway — regarding Dreeeben — noted, “That the elite attorney is helping Democrats with their 2024 campaign strategy of lawfare is significant and showcases how much coordination between key Democrat operatives is behind this Soviet-style attempt to imprison President Joe Biden’s political opponents.”

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The attorney representing special counsel Jack Smith before the United States Supreme Court's hearing over former President Donald Trump's presidential immunity claim was also a ringleader behind the Russia collusion hoax. Michael Dreeben, a federal attorney with the Department of Justice (DOJ), was revealed in 2018 as the primary legal mind behind special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into allegations that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election. show more

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April 25, 2024
William Upton
NatSec
TECH

TikTok Parent Firm Says It Prefers Ban to Sale, Protects China’s Algorithm.

TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, would prefer the United States government ban the social media app rather than sell it to a non-Chinese buyer. According to Reuters, citing four anonymous sources, ByteDance does not wish to part with control over the app’s algorithm, which it views as critical to the success of its network of technology ventures.

ByteDance has signaled it intends to pursue legal action against the Biden government to halt the newly signed law, forcing it to divest from TikTok or face the app’s ban. While TikTok only accounts for a relatively small share of ByteDance’s overall revenue, its algorithm, which determines what content is promoted to users and encourages continued engagement on the app, is far more valuable. As Americans only account for a small portion of the app’s overall user base, ByteDance prefers shuttering its U.S. presence instead of losing control of TikTok’s algorithm.

The Chinese company denied earlier reports on Thursday it was exploring avenues to sell the TikTok social media app. On Wednesday, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew said he expects the company to win its legal challenge against the divestment law. However, the National Pulse previously reported that House Republicans worked with officials at the Department of Justice to ensure the language of the law would make it difficult to overturn in court.

As it stands, ByteDance has until January 19, 2025, to find a buyer for the TikTok app. The U.S. government, however, could extend the deadline an additional three months if it believes ByteDance is close to making a sale. If ByteDance chooses not to sell or cannot reach an agreement with a purchaser, the U.S. ban on TikTok will take effect.

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TikTok's Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, would prefer the United States government ban the social media app rather than sell it to a non-Chinese buyer. According to Reuters, citing four anonymous sources, ByteDance does not wish to part with control over the app's algorithm, which it views as critical to the success of its network of technology ventures. show more
April 23, 2024
William Upton
1A

Biden’s Failed Censorship Czar Nina Jankowicz Now Runs a Think-Tank Named After a Venomous Snake.

Nina Jankowicz, the former and brief executive director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s Disinformation Governance Board, has a new non-profit group called the American Sunlight Project (ASP). The group aims to combat what it believes is a concerted campaign by conservatives to target and discredit disinformation researchers like Jankowicz. The former DHS employee was the subject of blistering criticism in 2022 over her embrace of pro-Biden government propaganda narratives on social media.

The new organization, led by Jankowicz and Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos, has hit the ground running — already accusing several House Republican committee chairmen of using their constitutional subpoena power to silence think tanks and disinformation researchers. “These tactics echo the dark days of McCarthyism, but with a frightening 21st-century twist,” Jaknowicz and Álvarez-Aranyos wrote in a letter published yesterday, leveling a series of hyperbolic accusations against House Republican leaders.

Despite her concerns about ongoing disinformation operations, Jankowicz participated in at least two such initiatives herself in 2020.

The former DHS employee publicly praised the discredited Steele dossier author, Christopher Steele, on social media. After an appearance by the British spy on the Infotagion podcast, Jankowicz posted to X (formerly Twitter), “Listened to this last night — Chris Steele (yes THAT Chris Steele) provides some great historical context about the evolution of disinfo. Worth a listen.” The alleged disinformation expert also dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop — confirmed by the Department of Justice and FBI as authentic — as “a Russian influence op.”

The American Sunlight Project–whose acronym ASP recalls the name of several venomous snake species found in the Nile region of Africa and the European vipera aspis — has a board comprised of several notable figures — including NeverTrumper Katie Harbath, a former Facebook executive and Republican operative; Ineke Mushovic, who leads a think tank that tracks “threats to democracy” and gay, lesbian, transgender movements; and Benjamin Wittes, the resident Deep State apologist at the Brookings Institute, which was primarily backed by the government of Qatar until 2017.

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Nina Jankowicz, the former and brief executive director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Disinformation Governance Board, has a new non-profit group called the American Sunlight Project (ASP). The group aims to combat what it believes is a concerted campaign by conservatives to target and discredit disinformation researchers like Jankowicz. The former DHS employee was the subject of blistering criticism in 2022 over her embrace of pro-Biden government propaganda narratives on social media. show more
April 11, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Several J6 Defendants Granted Early Release.

The three January 6 defendants challenging their convictions under the broad application of The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002’s “obstruction of an official proceeding” provision have been granted early release pending their appeal. In June, the United States Supreme Court is set to decide whether President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice overreached when broadly applying the 2002 financial regulatory law’s enhanced felonies to rioters at the U.S. Capitol.

Established in the wake of the Enron scandal, Sarbanes-Oxley ostensibly addresses crimes committed by individuals in the accounting and financial industries. The “obstruction of an official proceeding” provision was meant to apply to actions taken to cover up financial crimes — such as document destruction — in the course of a federal investigation. However, the vague language of the provision has allowed Biden’s DOJ to use it as a tool in prosecuting the January 6 defendants.

The Biden government’s use of Sarbanes-Oxley in the Capitol riot cases has thus far been upheld by 14 out of 15 federal trial judges overseeing the prosecutions. However, Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, has challenged the law’s application. Judge Nichols’s dissent from his colleagues could potentially sway the high court’s decision on the January 6 prosecutions.

The Supreme Court ruling could have a far-reaching effect beyond the three defendants who requested the appeal. More than 100 of the January 6 prosecutions are at least partially reliant on provisions in Sarbanes-Oxley, and any ruling by the high court narrowing the law’s scope could see most of these defendants released early. Additionally, DOJ special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump over his alleged role in the January 6 riots is – in part – built off of the 2002 financial crime law’s “obstruction of an official proceeding” provision.

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The three January 6 defendants challenging their convictions under the broad application of The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002's "obstruction of an official proceeding" provision have been granted early release pending their appeal. In June, the United States Supreme Court is set to decide whether President Joe Biden's Department of Justice overreached when broadly applying the 2002 financial regulatory law's enhanced felonies to rioters at the U.S. Capitol. show more
April 10, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Jack Smith Blasted for ‘Failure’ to Address Opposing Arguments.

Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over DOJ special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump over allegations he mishandled classified documents, chided the Biden government attorney multiple times for failing to respond to arguments made by opposing parties in an April 9 court filing. While Judge Cannon agreed to Smith’s motion asking the names of witnesses in the trial be redacted, she accused the special counsel at least eight times in her ruling of having failed to respond to objections raised by a coalition of press organizations who weighed in against Smith’s motion.

“The Special Counsel had two opportunities to raise these arguments and failed to do so in both instances. The Special Counsel’s initial Seal Request failed to offer a governing legal framework or any factual support for the relief sought,” Cannon wrote in her ruling. She continued: “Later, in response to the Press Coalition’s Motion, the Special Counsel failed to engage with — let alone refute — the Press Coalition’s argument that the First Amendment attached to the subject materials.”

The judge also criticized Smith for failing to comply with the court’s rules regarding the sealing of sensitive filings. “And this is to say nothing of the Special Counsel’s failure to comply with this District’s Local Rules on sealing, which the Court has emphasized repeatedly throughout this proceeding,” Judge Cannon wrote.

Prior to this most recent ruling, the relationship between the special counsel and Judge Cannon had already been under strain. Last week, the two tangled over the judge’s order requesting both Smith and attorneys for former President Donald Trump submit draft jury instructions, including arguments about the potential applicability of the Presidential Records Act. This latest episode suggests that the judge’s opinion of Smith may have fallen even further.

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Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over DOJ special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of former President Donald Trump over allegations he mishandled classified documents, chided the Biden government attorney multiple times for failing to respond to arguments made by opposing parties in an April 9 court filing. While Judge Cannon agreed to Smith's motion asking the names of witnesses in the trial be redacted, she accused the special counsel at least eight times in her ruling of having failed to respond to objections raised by a coalition of press organizations who weighed in against Smith's motion. show more
April 5, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Politics

RFK Apologizes After Briefly Appearing to Back J6 Defendants.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says a fundraising email from a third-party vendor on behalf of his campaign referencing participants in the January 6 Capitol riot as “activists” was an error.

The email, titled “We Must Free Assange!”, stated, “This is the reality that every American Citizen faces — from Ed Snowden, to Julian Assange to the J6 activists sitting in a Washington DC jail cell stripped of their Constitutional liberties.”

Following a corporate media backlash, the campaign blamed the issue on an external marketing contractor whose contract it terminated. The email’s statement “does not reflect Mr. Kennedy’s views,” clarified Stefanie Spear, Kennedy’s spokesperson. The campaign has not disclosed the identity of the vendor responsible for this newswire misstep.

TRUMP BLASTS BIDEN DOJ.

On Thursday, the former president blasted the Biden government on his Truth Social account over the case of 71-year-old grandmother and great-grandmother Rebecca Lavrenz. A jury found Lavrenz guilty on four counts after praying inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Lavrenz faces three years in jail and up to $250,000 in fines.

SCOTUS TO THE RESCUE?

The Capitol riot defendants face charges under the novel legal application of The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. The act overhauled regulatory provisions dealing with financial record keeping and reporting for corporations. The DOJ contends that the “corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding” felony provision found in 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) — and enacted under Sarbanes-Oxley — permits the prosecution of crimes besides those of a financial nature.

The Supreme Court is currently considering whether the “official proceeding” provision can be applied to crimes outside the scope of Sarbanes-Oxley. It is expected to rule by the end of June.

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says a fundraising email from a third-party vendor on behalf of his campaign referencing participants in the January 6 Capitol riot as "activists" was an error. show more
April 2, 2024
Corruption

Judge Denies Motions to Dismiss Charges Against Hunter Biden.

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi denied several motions seeking to dismiss the tax evasion charges against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Biden is facing three felony and six misdemeanor tax-related charges, for which he has pleaded not guilty. Scarsi rejected all eight motions Biden’s legal team filed in an 82-page order.

Last week, Biden’s defense attorneys presented numerous legal arguments for dismissing the charges entirely or at least in part. One of the claims made by the defense team contended that the sweetheart plea deal — which fell apart late last year after several of its provisions were revoked by another federal judge — remained valid. They argued that if the deal’s conditions were met, the charges against Biden should be dropped. Biden’s attorneys also pushed arguments that special counsel David Weiss was improperly appointed and thus could not prosecute the case, as well as insisting that President Joe Biden‘s Department of Justice selectively targeted his son.

Judge Scarsi, however, found all these arguments unconvincing. Regarding the claim of selective prosecution, he stated the defense team “fails to present a reasonable inference, let alone clear evidence, of discriminatory effect and discriminatory purpose.” Scarsi also disregarded an additional claim that comments made by Congressional Republicans affected the integrity of the prosecution.

Responding to the judge’s ruling, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said: “We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden’s challenges to the abnormal way the Special Counsel handled this investigation and charged this case.”

In addition to the tax charges, Hunter Biden is facing federal charges relating to firearm possession while using narcotics, with a trial date set for June. Biden continues to plead not guilty to all charges.

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U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi denied several motions seeking to dismiss the tax evasion charges against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Biden is facing three felony and six misdemeanor tax-related charges, for which he has pleaded not guilty. Scarsi rejected all eight motions Biden’s legal team filed in an 82-page order. show more