Ben Penn
@benjaminpenn.bsky.social
Pinned
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (2)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
Re-upping this on life inside the DOJ Miami office that’s become ground zero for Trump enemies prosecutions: resignations, recruiting outsourced to a voter fraud conspiracist, crim chief walled off after Posobiec post. Tensions continue to rise. My story:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: DOJ has sent US attorneys scrambling to meet a Thanksgiving eve deadline to collect vast amounts of case data showing progress in meeting Trump directives, such as crackdowns on immigration and political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Demands Data Troves From US Attorneys on Trump’s Priorities
The Justice Department sent US attorneys scrambling this week to meet a pre-Thanksgiving deadline to collect troves of data demonstrating compliance with Trump-directed crackdowns on immigration, poli...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
News: DOJ has sent US attorneys scrambling to meet a Thanksgiving eve deadline to collect vast amounts of case data showing progress in meeting Trump directives, such as crackdowns on immigration and political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Defense of Top Prosecutors Tees Up Debate for Supreme Court
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Motion denied. Case proceeds to summary judgment hearing Dec. 2.
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Voter Conspiracy Shadow (1)
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Motion denied. Case proceeds to summary judgment hearing Dec. 2.
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Voter Conspiracy Shadow (1)
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: Voting machine co. Smartmatic to be arraigned today in 1st corporate foreign bribery indictment in 15 years.
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Election Conspiracy Shadow
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
News: Voting machine co. Smartmatic to be arraigned today in 1st corporate foreign bribery indictment in 15 years.
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
2 Miami prosecutors (both Rs) quit - after being asked to join a unit targeting Trump foes - when MAGA US atty ordered them to sign statements under penalty of perjury naming who they’d talked to. That’s an unheard of interrogation tactic within DOJ. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Miami US Attorney Instills Fear as Trump Enemy Probes Ramp Up
Miami’s US attorney is alarming staff with unconventional interrogation tactics to oust prosecutors, while warning the office about dishonesty and disobedience as he staffs up investigations of the pr...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:41 PM
2 Miami prosecutors (both Rs) quit - after being asked to join a unit targeting Trump foes - when MAGA US atty ordered them to sign statements under penalty of perjury naming who they’d talked to. That’s an unheard of interrogation tactic within DOJ. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEWS: Miami US Attorney prompted prosecutor resignations by demanding they sign statements under penalty of perjury naming those with whom they discussed an assignment expected to target Trump's foes, prompting office-wide fear of witch hunt news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Miami US Attorney Instills Fear as Trump Enemy Probes Ramp Up
Miami’s US attorney is alarming staff with unconventional interrogation tactics to oust prosecutors, while warning the office about dishonesty and disobedience as he staffs up investigations of the pr...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:41 PM
NEWS: Miami US Attorney prompted prosecutor resignations by demanding they sign statements under penalty of perjury naming those with whom they discussed an assignment expected to target Trump's foes, prompting office-wide fear of witch hunt news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Re-upping this on life inside the DOJ Miami office that’s become ground zero for Trump enemies prosecutions: resignations, recruiting outsourced to a voter fraud conspiracist, crim chief walled off after Posobiec post. Tensions continue to rise. My story:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (2)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Re-upping this on life inside the DOJ Miami office that’s become ground zero for Trump enemies prosecutions: resignations, recruiting outsourced to a voter fraud conspiracist, crim chief walled off after Posobiec post. Tensions continue to rise. My story:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue Over Jack Smith Searches
Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Buried inside the deal to reopen government is a provision that would give Senators private right of action to sue for millions in damages over their phone records being analyzed by Jack Smith's team.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
UPDATE: Two DOJ line prosecutors have resigned under duress shortly after being asked to join this grand jury team. Both were accused by Miami superiors of leaking about the secretive assignment, and bow out after short, promising careers as prosecutors.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
UPDATE: Two DOJ line prosecutors have resigned under duress shortly after being asked to join this grand jury team. Both were accused by Miami superiors of leaking about the secretive assignment, and bow out after short, promising careers as prosecutors.
Reposted by Ben Penn
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:10 PM
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEWS: Up to four FBI agents who were fired yesterday over Arctic Frost, then reinstated b/c US Attorney Pirro said they're critical to an active public corruption probe, have been fired and walked out a 2nd time today. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
FBI Conducts Whiplash Firings, Rehirings Linked to Trump Probe
The FBI fired at least six agents who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith, only to quickly restore employment Monday for some of them who are pursuing a high-priority public corruption investigatio...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
NEWS: Up to four FBI agents who were fired yesterday over Arctic Frost, then reinstated b/c US Attorney Pirro said they're critical to an active public corruption probe, have been fired and walked out a 2nd time today. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
To be more clear, Patel’s anger is over news of his own personal travel being out there all week. The senior official he forced out oversees FBI aviation teams and many more crisis management functions.
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
The FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Kash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly-available jet logs indicating he’d flown to see his musician ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:34 PM
To be more clear, Patel’s anger is over news of his own personal travel being out there all week. The senior official he forced out oversees FBI aviation teams and many more crisis management functions.
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
The FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Kash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly-available jet logs indicating he’d flown to see his musician ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, flanked by a security detail, attended both days of arguments in a lower-profile case with appeal to President Trump.
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:18 PM
US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, flanked by a security detail, attended both days of arguments in a lower-profile case with appeal to President Trump.
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: Nominee to lead DOJ Criminal Division tells Senate Judiciary Committee he was mistaken in declaring at his hearing that DOJ rescinded policy on communicating w/ White House. He doesn't retract separate remark that DOJ will soon be updating the policy. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Criminal Chief Pick Misspoke to Senate on White House Policy
A senior Trump Justice Department nominee told senators he “inadvertently misspoke” when declaring at his confirmation hearing that DOJ rescinded its policy on communicating with the White House about...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:59 PM
News: Nominee to lead DOJ Criminal Division tells Senate Judiciary Committee he was mistaken in declaring at his hearing that DOJ rescinded policy on communicating w/ White House. He doesn't retract separate remark that DOJ will soon be updating the policy. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
President Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists and spies, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump DOJ Upheaval in Virginia Hobbles National Security Unit
President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists a...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:41 PM
President Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists and spies, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEW: Trump's nominee to head DOJ's Criminal Division just said at his Senate hearing that AG Bondi & DAG Blanche will soon be issuing a revised policy on who's allowed to communicate with White House about criminal cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump DOJ Rewriting Policy Governing Contacts With White House
A new policy governing contacts between the Justice Department and the White House is “forthcoming,” according to the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the criminal division.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
NEW: Trump's nominee to head DOJ's Criminal Division just said at his Senate hearing that AG Bondi & DAG Blanche will soon be issuing a revised policy on who's allowed to communicate with White House about criminal cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Federal prosecutors obtained an indictment of John Bolton from a federal grand jury in Maryland this afternoon, per Chris Strohm and me:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
John Bolton Indicted Over Handling of Classified Documents
The US Justice Department has charged John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who became one of his fiercest critics, according to a person familiar with the matter.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Federal prosecutors obtained an indictment of John Bolton from a federal grand jury in Maryland this afternoon, per Chris Strohm and me:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Scoop: DOJ scheduled to seek grand jury indictment of John Bolton this afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
DOJ Will Ask Grand Jury to Indict Trump Critic Bolton Thursday
The Justice Department will ask a grand jury Thursday afternoon in Greenbelt, Md., to indict John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who became one of his fiercest cr...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Scoop: DOJ scheduled to seek grand jury indictment of John Bolton this afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
NEW: Chicago US attorney Andrew Boutros stands out from MAGA-devoted top prosecutors in past Dem cities targeted for Trump crackdowns.
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump’s Chicago Crackdown Tests Loyalty of US Attorney Boutros
President Donald Trump’s Chicago crackdown is forcing one of his more conventional US attorneys, Andrew Boutros, to balance the district’s entrenched apolitical traditions against escalating White Hou...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
NEW: Chicago US attorney Andrew Boutros stands out from MAGA-devoted top prosecutors in past Dem cities targeted for Trump crackdowns.
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Overnight scoop from Megan Crepeau and me: A grand jury declined to indict 2 Chicago-area ICE protestors on charges of assaulting agents, an extremely rare rebuke that's been a phenomenon in DC, LA & now Chicago following Trump law enforcement takeovers: news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/g...
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Overnight scoop from Megan Crepeau and me: A grand jury declined to indict 2 Chicago-area ICE protestors on charges of assaulting agents, an extremely rare rebuke that's been a phenomenon in DC, LA & now Chicago following Trump law enforcement takeovers: news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/g...
Reposted by Ben Penn
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:17 AM
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...