Justice Department's independence is threatened as Trump's team asserts power over cases and staff

[Dulcinea]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pam Bondi had insisted at her Senate confirmation hearing that as attorney general, her Justice Department would not “play politics.”

Yet in the month since the Trump administration took over the building, a succession of actions has raised concerns the department is doing exactly that.

Top officials have demanded the names of thousands of FBI agents who investigated the Capitol riot, sued a state attorney general who had won a massive fraud verdict against Donald Trump before the 2024 election, and ordered the dismissal of a criminal case against New York Mayor Eric Adams by saying the charges had handicapped the Democrat’s ability to partner in the Republican administration’s fight against illegal immigration.

Even for a department that has endured its share of scandals, the moves have produced upheaval not seen in decades, tested its independence and rattled the foundations of an institution that has long prided itself on being driven solely by facts, evidence and the law. As firings and resignations mount, the unrest raises the question of whether a president who raged against his own Justice Department during his first term can succeed in bending it to his will in his second.

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-justice-department-trump-bondi-bove-adams-a003af9d9aebe89cd289361a65c9401b

[Autumn]

1. Their independence is not threatened. They got on their knees and kissed

the royal dicks. Just like the republican party did.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. When new AG Pam Bondi informed the DOJ that they were rebranding as Trump's personal lawyers, it felt like a Freudian sl

When new AG Pam Bondi informed the DOJ that they were rebranding as Trump’s personal lawyers, it felt like a Freudian slip. Given that the leadership of the leaders of the hitherto famously independent department — from Bondi to Blanche to Bove — were all chosen because they were, in fact, Trump’s personal lawyers, it […]

Link to tweet

https://abovethelaw.com/2025/02/trump-us-attorney-doesnt-understand-constitution-basic-grammar/

When new AG Pam Bondi informed the DOJ that they were rebranding as Trump’s personal lawyers, it felt like a Freudian slip. Given that the leadership of the leaders of the hitherto famously independent department — from Bondi to Blanche to Bove — were all chosen because they were, in fact, Trump’s personal lawyers, it wasn’t a surprise that the new look department would see itself that way. But you got the vague sense that Bondi probably wished she’d maintained a facade of propriety and left that part unsaid.

Ed Martin, heading up the DC US Attorney’s Office, lacks any lingering subtlety. Thus far, the Stop the Steal wingnut placed in charge of the venerable office divided his time between writing love letters to Elon Musk, dropping charges against his own clients, and threatening legislators for questioning Republicans. So it’s unsurprising to see that he’s yet again screwing around on social media repeating the idea that law enforcement reflects the whims of a president instead of his actual job.

The word “interim” is curiously absent. Because while Trump has nominated Martin to take on the role long-term, the Senate needs to vote before he’s actually “United States Attorney, District of Columbia.”

But also, take another look at the first three words. That’s not how apostrophes work, champ!

Maybe basic grammar is something they teach you after you get confirmed.