As the political landscape shifts, President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to reshape the Department of Justice under his newly nominated U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and one liberal commentator is crying foul already.
Following the dismissal of the Jan. 6 federal criminal case against him, Trump seems, according to Maggie Haberman, ready to pursue retribution against his legal adversaries at the Justice Department, including special counsel Jack Smith, as Mediaite reports.
Habereman says that the main trigger for Trump’s next steps occurred on Monday when Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the case against Trump. This decision was influenced by DOJ policy, which generally stands against prosecuting a sitting president.
Smith’s involvement in Trump’s recent legal fortunes has been multifaceted. Beyond the Jan. 6 case, he has sought to relieve the president-elect from another case he brought regarding allegedly improper retention of government documents after leaving office.
Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, is expected to resign his position in advance of Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s Legal Strategies Take New Direction
Pam Bondi, who is Trump’s new pick to become attorney general, has been vocal about her approach to handling the DOJ. During a Fox News interview in 2023, she expressed a strong stance on investigating the investigators from the previous administration.
This intention was further spotlighted by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who raised questions about Bondi’s potential actions if confirmed. Collins asked how Bondi would deal with Trump’s directives that might target prosecutors from Smith’s team.
Responding to these developments, CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig remarked on the expected shift in DOJ operations under Bondi’s leadership. Unlike her predecessor Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from significant cases, Bondi is not anticipated to step back from major investigations.
Expected Confirmation Challenges for Bondi
Haberman, discussing the situation, predicted intense scrutiny of Bondi during her confirmation hearings. Democrat senators are expected to question her about her previous statements and her commitment to Trump’s directive to “clean out” the DOJ.
The journalist expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of internal opposition within Trump’s team in preventing any controversial decisions.
She noted, “If the idea is that there’s lots of people around Trump and the White House who are gonna try to prevent him from doing this, I think people are sorely mistaken.”
Moreover, Haberman highlighted the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz from AG contention, noting it as a relief for many given that he was the subject of a prior DOJ investigation and his associated “baggage.”
Legal Community Reacts to DOJ Shift
Bondi’s assertive comments about prosecuting prosecutors and investigating DOJ investigators indicate a significant shift from previous practices. “The bad ones. The investigators will be investigated because the deep state, last term for President Trump, they were hiding in the shadows,” Bondi stated on Fox News.
This aggressive stance is aimed at what Bondi and Trump perceive as remnants of the “deep state” within the DOJ, which they believe undermined Trump’s previous term.
Honig contrasted this approach with the actions taken during Sessions’ tenure as AG, where Robert Mueller was appointed as a special counsel due to Sessions’ recusal. Honig emphasized, “Nothing like that is going to happen this time, right? Pam Bondi is not gonna be taking herself off big cases.”
Impact on Future DOJ Operations
The potential confirmation of Pam Bondi as U.S. attorney general represents a pivotal change in the trajectory of the Department of Justice, which will likely align more closely with Trump’s agenda.
The broader implications of this shift could affect ongoing and future investigations, particularly those related to Trump’s administration and its actions.
This aligns with Trump’s longstanding criticisms of what he has termed the “witch hunt” against him, referring to various investigations into his conduct both during and after his presidency.
The post Maggie Haberman Says Trump Poised to Seek Revenge at DOJ appeared first on Washington Digest.
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Author: Christina Davie
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