Archiv: US Department of Justice (DOJ) / US Justizministerium


17:27 [ Tim Kaine, United States Senator from Virginia ]

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Hegseth:

(November 24, 2025)

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Hegseth:

We are writing to request expeditious declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel’s written opinion, dated September 5, 2025, concerning the domestic and international legal basis for recent military strikes of certain vessels near South America and the Caribbean, with appropriate redactions necessary to protect military personnel and sensitive intelligence matters.

Significant and noteworthy precedent exists for the public release of OLC opinions related to overseas military action. After the United States carried out military strikes in Libya in 2011 and in Syria in 2018, the Department of Justice released the applicable OLC opinion justifying each operation.

Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes.

Sincerely,

Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator

Jack Reed
United States Senator

Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator

Mazie K. Hirono
United States Senator

Tim Kaine
United States Senator

Angus S. King, Jr.
United States Senator

Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator

Gary C. Peters
United States Senator

Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator

Jacky Rosen
United States Senator

Mark Kelly
United States Senator

Elissa Slotkin
United States Senator

26.11.2025 - 18:46 [ theHill.com ]

Senate Democrats ask Hegseth, Bondi to declassify DOJ memo on drug boat strikes

(November 24, 2025)

Senate Democrats are asking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi to declassify and publicly release the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel’s classified, written opinion outlining the legal basis for the Trump administration’s strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Thirteen Senate Democrats, all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are demanding an “expeditious declassification and public release” of the classified opinion, which was drafted over the summer and argued that U.S. troops who participate in boat strikes, which have taken place on both sides of South America, cannot be prosecuted.

26.11.2025 - 17:57 [ Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Senator for Michigan ]

Slotkin Demands Declassification and Public Release of Information on the Trump Administration’s Lethal Airstrikes

Nov 24, 2025 | Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) joined members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in writing to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting the declassification and public release of the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) written opinion on the Trump Administration’s lethal airstrikes in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

“Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force. We therefore believe that the declassification and public release of this important document would enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military and is necessary to ensure Congress and the American people are fully informed of the legal justification supporting these strikes,” the Senators wrote.

20.11.2025 - 21:02 [ ABC News ]

After Trump signs Epstein files bill, focus shifts to release timeline

Under the measure, the Justice Department has 30 days to release the materials once the president signs it. If Trump signed the bill Wednesday, the deadline for release would be Dec. 19.

(…)

For any materials it chooses to withhold or redact, the DOJ is required to outline their justifications for doing so within 15 days of their public release.

20.11.2025 - 02:41 [ theHill.com ]

Trump signs Epstein bill into law, releasing files from DOJ

President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law, officially directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all unclassified records and documents connected to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

19.11.2025 - 23:06 [ CNN ]

Schumer says Democrats will hold DOJ accountable for fully releasing the Epstein files

“No hiding, no game playing, no covering up,” he said, adding they would use “pressure to make sure the documents are released in their entirety and not warped by a corrupt DOJ who’s hell bent on hiding the truth, bending the law and protecting Trump.”

Asked about Republicans arguing that Democrats — and their donors — could also be in the files, Schumer replied, “We think every name should come out, everything, everything. There should be no cover up.”

26.09.2025 - 12:26 [ Fox News ]

Comey indicted for alleged false statements, obstruction of congressional proceeding

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false.

26.09.2025 - 12:22 [ ABC News ]

Former FBI Director James Comey indicted days after Trump demanded his DOJ move ‚now‘ to prosecute enemies

The charges follow Trump‘s ousting of the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, who according to sources had expressed doubts internally about bringing cases against Comey, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James, after Trump appointed him to lead the office.

Trump then immediately moved to install Lindsey Halligan, a White House aide and his former defense attorney, to lead the office, despite her having no prior prosecutorial experience.

16.04.2025 - 03:13 [ CNN ]

Judge in Abrego Garcia case says there’s no evidence Trump administration is following her orders

“I do need evidence in this regard because to date what the record shows is nothing has been done,” US District Judge Paula Xinis said in a tense hearing Tuesday afternoon in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Xinis said she was unsatisfied with the sworn statements she’s been getting each day from Trump administration officials detailing what the government has been doing to carry out her directive.

She wants discovery, she told a Justice Department attorney, “to determine whether you are abiding by the court order. My court orders.”

15.03.2025 - 06:46 [ Deadline.com ]

Donald Trump, In DOJ Speech, Calls CNN And MSNBC “Illegal” For Reporting Negatively On Him

“I believe that CNN and MSDNC, who literally write 97.6 percent bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat party, and in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal,” Trump said, again using his nickname for MSNBC.

He also bashed other outlets, including CBS, NBC, ABC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, for their reporting. He claimed that the mainstream outlets were influencing judges and “I don’t believe it’s legal.”

09.11.2024 - 14:41 [ PressTV.ir ]

Iran roundly dismisses claims of assassination plot targeting Trump

Baghaei said the repetition of such claims at this juncture is “a malicious conspiracy by Zionist and anti-Iranian circles aimed at further complicating the issues between the United States and Iran.”

It came after Trump was declared the winner of the presidential election on Wednesday. On July 13, Trump survived an assassination attempt, suffering only minor injury to his ear.

In August, Iran dismissed having any connection with a Pakistani individual allegedly arrested in the United States and charged with being behind a foiled plot to assassinate US politicians.

09.11.2024 - 14:28 [ CNN ]

DOJ announces charges in Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump

Prosecutors allege Shakeri – who participated in recorded conversations with law enforcement – was originally tasked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to carrying out other assassinations against US and Israeli citizens inside the US. (…)

Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, in statements released Friday, denounced the continued threats from the Iranian government against individuals in the United States.

“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” Garland said.

06.11.2024 - 16:49 [ Newsweek ]

Trump to ‚Dismantle Deep State‘ with ‚Truth and Reconciliation Commission‘

(March 21, 2023)

„We will clean out all of the corrupt actors in our national security and intelligence apparatus, and there are plenty of them,“ Trump said.

„The departments and agencies that have been weaponized will be completely overhauled,“ he continued. „So that faceless bureaucrats will never again be able to target and persecute conservatives, Christians, or the left‘s political enemies, which they‘re doing now at a level that nobody can believe even possible.“

06.11.2024 - 16:31 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Nach US-Wahl 2024: Was könnte Trump planen?

Mit dem Tag der Amtseinführung soll der Umbau der Exekutive beginnen. Ziel ist eine drastische Zentralisierung der Regierungspolitik, bei der das Weiße Haus eine straffe Kontrolle über alle Bundesbehörden, einschließlich des Justizministeriums erhalten würde.

Damit könnte er entscheidend auf Verfahren gegen ihn und andere Einfluss nehmen, die unter anderem am Sturm auf das Kapitol am 6. Januar 2021 beteiligt waren. Es würde ihm außerdem ermöglichen, gegen Personen vorzugehen, die diese Verfahren angestoßen haben.

Die Ministerien für Bildung und Heimatschutz etwa sollen abgeschafft werden, die US-Bundespolizei FBI, „eine zunehmend gesetzlose Organisation“, soll von Grund auf erneuert werden.

23.10.2024 - 10:55 [ Zeteo.com ]

EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Lawyers Press Merrick Garland to Investigate Israel’s Killing of American Citizens

The attorneys highlight three categories of potential US code violations the DOJ could investigate:

– The killing of US citizens by Israeli citizens and soldiers in recent years (including Ayşenur Eygi, Kamel Ahmad Jawad, Jacob Flickinger, Tawfiq Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Khdour, Omar Assad, and Shireen Abu Akleh).

– Israel’s illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, assisted by US citizens and organizations.

– Evidence that Israeli forces may have committed war crimes and engaged in torture – including killing thousands of civilians, forcibly displacement and starvation, unlawful confinement, torture and inhumane treatment of detainees, and mass destruction of civilian property and infrastructure.

“Of‬‭ course,” the attorneys note,‬‭ “U.S.‬‭ courts‬‭ have‬‭ jurisdiction‬‭ over‬‭ the‬‭ more‬‭ than‬‭ 23,000‬‭ U.S.‬‭ citizens‬‭ currently‬‭ serving‬‭ in‬‭ Israel’s‬‭ armed‬‭ forces,‬‭ along‬‭ with‬‭ IDF‬‭ members‬‭ or‬‭ other‬‭ Israeli‬ officials‬‭ that‬‭ travel‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ United‬‭ States.”

12.08.2023 - 14:59 [ APNews.com ]

Biden’s reelection bid faces vulnerabilities in wake of special counsel appointment

As he gears up for reelection, President Joe Biden is already facing questions about his ability to convince voters that the economy is performing well. There’s skepticism about the 80-year-old president’s ability to manage a second term. And on Friday, Biden faced a fresh setback when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to probe his son, Hunter.

12.08.2023 - 14:50 [ Fox News ]

AG Garland appoints Hunter Biden investigator David Weiss special counsel

„I‘m here today to announce the appointment of David Weiss as a special counsel consistent with the Department of Justice regulations governing such matters. In keeping with those regulations, I have today notified the designated members of each House of Congress of the appointment,“ Garland said at a press conference in Washington, D.C.

Weiss is the federal prosecutor who has investigated the business dealings of Hunter Biden and brought charges against him in Delaware. His appointment as special counsel indicates that, contrary to Hunter‘s defense lawyers‘ claims, the Justice Department investigation into President Biden‘s son is not over.

05.07.2023 - 18:04 [ Rolling Stone ]

Biden’s DOJ Is Pressuring Journalists to Help Build Its Case Against Assange

The Department of Justice and FBI are pressuring multiple British journalists to cooperate with the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, using vague threats and pressure tactics in the process. I know because I am one of the British journalists being pressured to cooperate in the case against him, as someone who used to (briefly) work and live with him, and who went on to blow the whistle on WikiLeaks’ own ethical lapses.

04.04.2023 - 08:00 [ Fox News ]

Rep. Rashida Tlaib urges fellow House members to demand DOJ drop charges against Julian Assange

The letter, which was obtained by The Intercept, is currently circulating among members as they are urged to sign it and has not yet been sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman, N.Y., Ilhan Omar, Minn., and Cori Bush, Mo., have signed the letter. The office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she intends to sign the letter.

16.08.2022 - 05:56 [ theHill.com ]

DOJ says unsealing Trump warrant affidavit would jeopardize investigation

Federal prosecutors submitted a court filing opposing any efforts to unseal the document laying out probable cause for the search. The filing came just days after they agreed to release a copy of the warrant itself as well as a receipt listing the materials that were seized during the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

16.08.2022 - 05:49 [ US House Committee on the Judiciary ]

Dear Director Wray: The FBI’s unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence is a shocking escalation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of law-enforcement resources against its political opponents.

(August 15, 2022)

The American people deserve transparency and accountability from our most senior law-enforcement officials in the executive branch. We will settle for nothing but your complete
cooperation with our inquiry.

Under the Biden Administration, the Justice Department has shattered public confidence in the equal application of justice. The Department has filed politically motivated lawsuits against Republican-led states on policies disfavored by the Biden Administration, artificially inflated domestic violent extremism statistics to advance the Biden Administration’s political narrative, used counterterrorism resources to target parents at school board meetings opposed to policies supported by the Biden Administration, and selectively prosecuted and investigated political opponents of the Biden Administration. These actions not only undermine the stated mission of the Department, they violate the most fundamental tenets of our country.

16.08.2022 - 05:44 [ theHill.com ]

House Judiciary GOP seeks White House, DOJ and FBI documents on Mar-a-Lago search

“The FBI’s unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence is a shocking escalation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of law-enforcement resources against its political opponents,” read the letters led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), ranking member on the committee. “We will settle for nothing but your complete cooperation with our inquiry.”

The Republicans seek communications “referring or relating” to the decision to execute and seek the search warrant.

10.08.2022 - 11:16 [ Fox News ]

Former Trump official Michael Caputo blasts FBI‘s Mar-a-Lago raid: ‚Full-blown constitutional crisis‘

„America is in a full-blown constitutional crisis. The American people have endured a slow, creeping attack on our nation. I had a front row seat in the Russia hoax, and I‘ve watched it get steadily and methodically worse ever since,“ Caputo said.

„With this militant raid on President Trump‘s home, we have become Russia. The FBI is the KGB. I should know. I‘ve seen them both in action and I see no difference at all,“ he said.

10.08.2022 - 11:11 [ New York Times ]

Representative Scott Perry says the F.B.I. seized his cellphone.

“My phone contains info about my legislative and political activities, and personal/private discussions with my wife, family, constituents and friends. None of this is the government’s business,” Mr. Perry said. “As with President Trump last night, D.O.J. chose this unnecessary and aggressive action instead of simply contacting my attorneys. These kinds of banana republic tactics should concern every citizen.”

(…)

It was not immediately clear why the F.B.I. had seized Mr. Perry’s phone. A spokeswoman for the congressman did not respond right away to a follow-up question, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

01.07.2021 - 12:17 [ Aktion Freiheit statt Angst ]

Anklage gegen Julian Assange bricht zusammen: Gekaufter Zeuge packt aus

(29.06.2021)

Ohne Regen wollen wir am Sa., 3. Juli ab 17h eine Geburtstags-Sonder-Mahnwache vor der US Botschaft am Brandenburger Tor in Berlin abhalten. An vielen Orten wird am Samstag für die Freilassung des illegal inhaftierten Journalisten und Whistleblowers demonstriert.

01.07.2021 - 12:12 [ Wochenblick.at ]

Assange kein Hacker – Das Ende des Verfahrens gegen Julian Assange? Kronzeuge hat gelogen!

(29.06.2021)

Der Kronzeuge Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson gab gegenüber der isländischen Zeitung Stundin zu, seine Vorwürfe gegen Assange nur erfunden zu haben. Bis zu 175 Jahre Gefängnis drohen dem australischen Journalisten und WikiLeaks-Gründer Julian Assange im Falle einer Auslieferung in die USA.

01.07.2021 - 12:03 [ Stundin.is ]

Key witness in Assange case admits to lies in indictment

(26.06.2021)

The witness, who has a documented history with sociopathy and has received several convictions for sexual abuse of minors and wide-ranging financial fraud, made the admission in a newly published interview in Stundin where he also confessed to having continued his crime spree whilst working with the Department of Justice and FBI and receiving a promise of immunity from prosecution.

The man in question, Sigurdur Ingi Thordarson, was recruited by US authorities to build a case against Assange after misleading them to believe he was previously a close associate of his.

24.02.2021 - 11:35 [ Yahoo.com ]

SolarWinds, Microsoft, FireEye, CrowdStrike defend actions in major hack – U.S. Senate hearing

Lawmakers started the hearing by criticizing Amazon representatives, who they said were invited to testify and whose servers were used to launch the cyberattack, for declining to attend the hearing.

18.02.2021 - 15:29 [ SeekingAlpha.com ]

SolarWinds breach launched from within the United States

Neuberger notably said the attack, which compromised „9 federal agencies and about 100 private companies,“ was launched from inside the United States.
SolarWinds shares are down 1.4%. Two security names closely tied to the hack, FireEye (FEYE -3.2%) and CrowdStrike (CRWD -2.5%), are also in the red.

18.02.2021 - 15:28 [ CNN ]

Biden administration says investigation into SolarWinds hack is likely to take „several months“

The US government‘s probe into the devastating SolarWinds breach is likely to take „several months“ at least, according to the top White House cybersecurity official, speaking to reporters Wednesday in the Biden administration‘s first public assessment of the gravity of the suspected Russian spying campaign.

12.01.2021 - 21:39 [ NBC News / Youtube ]

Live: FBI, Justice Department Hold Briefing On Capitol Riots | NBC News

Watch live coverage as members of the FBI and Justice Department provide updates on the investigation into the attack a pro-Trump mob executed at the U.S. Capitol.

12.01.2021 - 21:07 [ Max Blumenthal / Twitter ]

“My first thought was that the Iranians had followed through on their threat to strike the Capitol” -an actual US senator

12.01.2021 - 20:43 [ MSNBC / Twitter ]

NEW: FBI and DOJ to hold 3 p.m. ET news conference on Wednesday‘s storming of the US Capitol, DOJ announces.