Political Interference at the Justice Department

Briefing|Political Interference at the Justice Department

The Justice Department is giving President Trump what he wants. Here’s how my colleagues described last night’s news:

The clearest way to understand the extraordinary nature of the indictment on Thursday of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, is to offer up a simple recitation of the facts.

An inexperienced prosecutor loyal to President Trump, in the job for less than a week, filed criminal charges against one of her boss’s most-reviled opponents. She did so not only at Mr. Trump’s direct command, but also against the urging of both her own subordinates and her predecessor, who had just been fired for raising concerns that there was insufficient evidence to indict.

At the same time, the Justice Department has also ordered prosecutors to investigate George Soros, a billionaire Democratic donor whom Trump has targeted for financing left-wing groups.

The moves dispense with the decades-old norm that the agency should be free from political interference. Today’s newsletter breaks down both cases.

James Comey

Trump has detested Comey ever since Comey led an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The inquest ultimately did not prove that Trump’s campaign had colluded with Moscow, and the president claims it was a witch hunt designed to hurt him politically.

Yesterday’s indictment was bare-bones — one count of making a false statement and one count of obstructing Congress. The charge sheet says Comey lied during a Senate hearing when he said he hadn’t authorized a news leak about the F.B.I.’s investigations.

The lead prosecutor also tried to indict Comey on a second charge of making a false statement. But the grand jury rejected it.