{"id":127178,"date":"2024-11-18T07:21:48","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T00:21:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127178"},"modified":"2024-11-18T07:21:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T00:21:48","slug":"doj-and-fbi-officials-reach-out-to-lawyers-as-potential-trump-revenge-prosecutions-loom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127178","title":{"rendered":"DOJ and FBI officials reach out to lawyers as potential Trump revenge prosecutions loom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Multiple current and former senior Justice Department and FBI officials have begun reaching out to lawyers in anticipation of being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/investigations\/trump-vows-prosecute-political-foes-others-corrupt-cheaters-rcna169292\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:criminally investigated by the Trump administration;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">criminally investigated by the Trump administration<\/a>, according to three people with knowledge of their deliberations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Following Trump\u2019s decisive election victory, many Justice Department officials and career staffers were already nervous about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/national-security\/will-justice-department-fbi-officials-carry-trumps-prosecutions-rivals-rcna175650\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:the possibility that they would be targeted;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">the possibility that they would be targeted<\/a> by Trump loyalists, particularly members of Congress. But the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/justice-department-stunned-trumps-choice-matt-gaetz-attorney-general-rcna180071\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:selection of former Rep. Matt Gaetz;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">selection of former Rep. Matt Gaetz<\/a>, a firebrand Trump ally who was the subject of a recent FBI investigation, to lead the department has sharply increased the sense of alarm, the sources said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cEverything we did was aboveboard,\u201d said a former senior FBI official who has started contacting lawyers because he expects to be prosecuted himself. \u201cBut this is a different world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of becoming even more of a target, doesn\u2019t believe any attempt to prosecute him will be successful. Judges and juries have the power to throw out cases or find defendants innocent if they deem prosecutions to be baseless.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But like many other current and former Justice Department officials, he is bracing for a potentially long and costly legal battle, as well as the possibility of protracted congressional investigations, after Trump takes office in January.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Career FBI employees are especially vulnerable, the official added. Since they make less money than they would in the private sector, they rely on the pensions they receive after 20 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cAgents have to do 20 years,\u201d the former senior FBI official said. \u201cThese people don\u2019t have options.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">A former senior Justice Department official who served during Trump\u2019s first term said he, too, saw Gaetz\u2019s nomination as a sign of the seriousness of the president-elect\u2019s vow to exact revenge on those who investigated him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cHe needs to be able to control the department, which he can do through a loyal AG beholden to him,\u201d the former Justice Department official said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Gaetz, who was the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/doj-decides-not-charge-rep-matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-investigation-rcna70839\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:ended without charges;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">ended without charges<\/a>, \u201cunderstands that he owes everything to Trump, who can protect Gaetz as well through his pardon power,\u201d the former official added. \u201cTrump is confident that Gaetz will do whatever Trump tells him to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Trump Rally, Matt Gaetz, Coachella (Wally Skalij \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"623\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/sfi7OLqOkYYhniwglmKt5Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYyMw--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/10c46c5b83656bc9d2fdc378fc96d9a3\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Matt Gaetz walks onstage at a Trump rally in Coachella, Calif., on Oct. 12.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Trump and his supporters have consistently argued that all of the criminal investigations against him have been politically motivated, and that Justice Department and FBI officials deserve to be prosecuted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Weeks before Election Day, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, called for the Jan. 6 charges and all federal and state criminal charges against Trump to be dropped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cThis entire case is a sham and a partisan, Unconstitutional Witch Hunt that should be dismissed entirely \u2014 as should ALL of the remaining Democrat hoaxes,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/trump-campaign-slams-witch-hunt-155740742.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Cheung said;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Cheung said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Legal experts say Trump\u2019s goal in investigating his investigators is simple: intimidate anyone who dares to probe Trump\u2019s conduct.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cTrump aims to neutralize sources of power that may impede him,\u201d said Stephen Gillers, an ethics professor at New York University Law School. \u201cThat includes the law and legal institutions. He will tolerate no interference when the department\u2019s decisions will benefit Trump and his buddies or when its power can be deployed to retaliate against his enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Shock inside the DOJ<\/h2>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, were shocked by Trump\u2019s decisive election win. For the last four years, Garland has argued that strictly following post-Watergate norms that require the Justice Department to work in a nonpartisan manner in criminal investigations would restore public trust in the Justice Department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Instead, some career Justice Department officials wept after the election, dismayed by the fact that large numbers of Americans apparently continue to believe Trump\u2019s claims that the department is a cesspool of corruption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Justice Department and FBI officials say that the Trump investigations were carried out properly. Justice Department prosecutors secured indictments from federal grand juries against Trump for his mishandling of classified documents and his efforts to reverse the 2020 election results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">They expressed bafflement at what criminal charge could be brought against them as a result. \u201cThere\u2019s no crime,\u201d said a current law enforcement official. \u201cWhat\u2019s the crime?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Mike Davis, a conservative lawyer and Trump ally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-legal-allies-set-stage-doj-investigations-adversaries-rcna179089\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:has argued that special counsel Jack Smith;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">has argued that special counsel Jack Smith<\/a> could be prosecuted for breaking one of the laws that Smith accused Trump of breaking regarding the 2020 election: conspiracy against rights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/241\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The statute;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The statute <\/a>says it is illegal for anyone to deny a person a federal right, such as voting. Smith argued that Trump\u2019s attempt to reverse the 2020 election results denied voters in multiple states the right to have their votes accurately counted.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about an indictment of former President Donald Trump on Aug. 1, 2023, at the Justice Department in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin \/ AP)\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/LKNMt7zTPEhY4i_qMOZPEg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/nbc_news_122\/67560a547ad685bbdebecd127f2fd7c8\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about an indictment of former President Donald Trump on Aug. 1, 2023, at the Justice Department in Washington.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University, said he did not see how Smith could be charged with denying Trump a federal right.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cI think that\u2019s absurd,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t see any legitimate charge that can be brought against Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Somin\u00a0warned that a prosecutor\u00a0can\u00a0investigate an individual over a long period\u00a0and find that they had broken unrelated federal laws that cover minor offenses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">If Trump\u2019s attorney general, for example, appoints a special prosecutor to examine the federal criminal investigations of Trump, they could find that a Justice Department or FBI official broke a federal law that does not relate to the Trump probes, such as a tax or drug infraction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cIf you think about it, a majority of adult Americans have probably violated federal laws, such as smoking marijuana, at some point in their lives,\u201d Somin said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Special counsel Robert Mueller, during his investigation of whether Trump campaign officials coordinated with Russia during the 2016 campaign, charged multiple Trump associates with unrelated crimes. Paul Manafort, Trump\u2019s campaign chairman, was sentenced\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/03\/07\/701045248\/paul-manafort-former-trump-campaign-chairman-sentenced-to-just-under-4-years\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:to just under four years\u00a0;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">to just under four years\u00a0<\/a>in prison after being convicted of tax and bank fraud.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">A special counsel appointed by Attorney General William Barr, John Durham, then spent years scrutinizing the actions of the CIA and FBI in connection with Russia\u2019s 2016 election interference efforts, only to net a single guilty plea from an FBI lawyer who lied on a document.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But many of those investigated by Durham had to spend thousands of dollars on legal fees. Now, a new group of Justice Department and FBI officials are facing the prospect of hefty legal fees as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Gillers, the NYU professor, said that he believes Trump\u2019s nomination of Gaetz was the beginning, not the end, of his efforts to exact revenge on the department.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">\u201cElevating Gaetz is in part payback for Jack Smith\u2019s two indictments,\u201d Gillers said. \u201cThe Justice Department is Trump\u2019s white whale, and like Captain Ahab, Trump is determined to get even.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">This article was originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/justice-department\/doj-fbi-officials-reach-lawyers-potential-trump-revenge-prosecutions-l-rcna179737\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:NBCNews.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">NBCNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/doj-fbi-officials-reach-lawyers-120000487.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multiple current and former senior Justice Department and FBI officials have begun reaching out to lawyers in anticipation of being criminally investigated by the Trump administration, according to three people &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=127178\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=127178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127178\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=127178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=127178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=127178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}