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President Trump is intensifying pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue criminal investigations against his political opponents, using social media to publicly demand swift action.
Over the weekend, the president specifically called out former FBI Director James Comey, California Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. He expressed frustration with what he perceives as inaction, claiming his critics “impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), over nothing.”
The president has also moved to install loyalists in key prosecutorial positions. Mr. Trump announced his intention to nominate senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a strategically important office. This decision follows the forced resignation of Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. attorney, who was pushed out Friday amid the administration’s efforts to bring criminal charges against Letitia James in a mortgage fraud investigation.
Mr. Trump disputed Mr. Siebert’s claim that he resigned, instead asserting he fired the prosecutor, whom he labeled a “Woke RINO” supported by Virginia’s Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. The president criticized Mr. Siebert for telling media he had quit and claimed there was no case, countering that “there is a great case, and many lawyers, and legal pundits, say so.”
Mary Cleary has taken over as acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Ms. Cleary recently returned to the Justice Department as senior counsel in the criminal division after serving in various Virginia government positions, including deputy secretary of public safety under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and later in Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office. Notably, Ms. Cleary was previously placed on administrative leave after being accused of attending the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, though she says she was not there.
Mr. Trump’s public pressure campaign on Ms. Bondi represents an unprecedented direct presidential intervention in Justice Department operations. In his social media posts, he praised her performance but emphasized she “needs a tough prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia” to advance his agenda.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned President Trump’s actions as a “real threat to democracy,” warning on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the president is “turning [the Justice Department] into an instrument that goes after his enemies” while helping his allies. Sen. Schumer characterized this approach as “a path to a dictatorship,” predicting widespread opposition to Mr. Trump’s politicization of federal law enforcement agencies.
Read more: Trump pressures Attorney General Pam Bondi to go after his political foes
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