{"id":105810,"date":"2024-11-27T03:14:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T09:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=105810"},"modified":"2024-11-27T03:14:28","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T09:14:28","slug":"105810","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=105810","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/miacathell\/2024\/11\/26\/doj-oig-report-n2648236\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">And This Is Why the Public Doesn&#8217;t Trust the DOJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)&#8217;s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/reports\/top-management-and-performance-challenges-facing-department-justice-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released<\/a>\u00a0its annual report identifying the top management and performance challenges currently facing the federal agency.<\/p>\n<p>Among the OIG&#8217;s findings,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/tmpc\/challenge-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a lack of public trust in the DOJ<\/a>\u00a0remains a &#8220;longstanding&#8221; problem, Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/news\/doj-oig-releases-2024-report-top-management-and-performance-challenges-facing-department\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced<\/a>\u00a0Monday, and strengthening such trust poses &#8220;a significant challenge.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>However, in its\u00a0<a id=\"isPasted\" href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-11\/TMPC-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">59-page report<\/a>\u00a0highlighting incidents that have contributed to the department&#8217;s confidence crisis, the DOJ watchdog largely overlooked transgressions under the Biden-Harris administration, which still reigns. Instead, the OIG looked farther back to Trump&#8217;s time in office, his first term, as we head into the president-elect&#8217;s second.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1861066213075427483&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fmiacathell%2F2024%2F11%2F26%2Fdoj-oig-report-n2648236&amp;sessionId=afd72586af588db3a4ab68e1ca76c97987db20f4&amp;siteScreenName=townhallcom&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1861066213075427483\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Based on the OIG&#8217;s oversight work, the inspector general&#8217;s office blames a medley of Trump-era episodes as reasons why public trust in the institution has eroded over time.<\/p>\n<p>First, the OIG report points to public statements that former federal prosecutor David Freed, a Trump-nominated U.S. attorney, made about an ongoing criminal probe into alleged ballot tampering during the 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>Freed had said several mail-in military ballots, mostly cast for Donald Trump, were\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/katiepavlich\/2020\/09\/24\/mcenany-pennsylvania-ballots-for-trump-were-found-in-the-trash-n2576851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">discarded (tossed into the trash) at a Pennsylvania election office<\/a>\u00a0in pro-Trump Luzerne County.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the OIG\u00a0<a id=\"isPasted\" href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/24-082.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">concluded<\/a>\u00a0that Freed&#8217;s comments &#8220;unnecessarily inserted partisanship into the investigation&#8221; and &#8220;created a false impression&#8221; that the incident was &#8220;much more serious than DOJ leadership knew it to be.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The report also calls attention to another\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/24-081.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OIG inquiry<\/a>\u00a0into claims that senior DOJ appointees placed &#8220;political pressure&#8221; on the trial team\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/mattvespa\/2020\/02\/20\/breaking-roger-stone-sentenced-to-40-months-in-aftermath-of-shoddy-trump-russia-n2561615\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prosecuting Roger Stone<\/a>, a close confidant of Trump, so that they lowered their sentencing recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>While the OIG did not find evidence that the prosecution&#8217;s revision was the result of &#8220;improper political considerations,&#8221; the report chastises the &#8220;unusual substantive involvement,&#8221; though not prohibited by law or policy, of then-Attorney General Bill Barr and other high-level DOJ officials in the second sentencing recommendation&#8217;s preparation and filing.<\/p>\n<p>Their embroilment in the case against the president&#8217;s political ally &#8220;affected the public&#8217;s perception of the Department&#8217;s integrity, independence, and objectivity,&#8221; the OIG says.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The report then cites an old\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/24-085.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">OIG review<\/a>\u00a0blasting the DOJ&#8217;s response to the George Floyd riots in Washington, D.C., specifically the clearing of Lafayette Park when Trump walked through shortly afterward to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/katiepavlich\/2020\/06\/01\/president-trump-walks-to-st-johns-church-n2569864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit St. John&#8217;s Church<\/a>, which was set ablaze the night before, on June 1, 2020. Joined by Barr and other DOJ officials, Trump posed for a photograph in front of the church while holding up a Bible and promising to uphold the rule of law.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In doing so, Department leaders placed the safety of the Department&#8217;s personnel and members of the public at risk, thereby jeopardizing the public&#8217;s perception and confidence in the Department,&#8221; the OIG report says.<\/p>\n<p>This despite the fact that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/spencerbrown\/2021\/06\/09\/ig-report-st-johns-church-lafayette-park-n2590745\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a separate U.S. Department of the Interior inspector general&#8217;s report<\/a>\u00a0debunked the false narrative that federal authorities had forcibly cleared peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors to make way for Trump&#8217;s photo-op.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The bombshell Interior Department report, vindicating Trump, determined that U.S. Park Police were given permission to carry out the park&#8217;s clearing long before anyone knew Trump was walking over.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In fact, the operational plan in place allowed for the safe installation of anti-scale fencing to ward off property destruction and injury to officers that occurred days prior.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Of course, the OIG report makes no mention of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/mattvespa\/2024\/11\/25\/its-over-jack-smith-files-motion-to-dismiss-politically-motivated-charges-against-trump-n2648221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">now-failed federal prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0or the discriminatory use of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/miacathell\/2023\/09\/06\/face-act-case-dc-pro-life-leaders-n2626728\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">overwhelmingly against pro-life defendants<\/a>\u00a0for peacefully protesting at abortion clinics.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although the report did mention the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/capitol-breach-cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sprawling January 6 cases<\/a>, in which over 1,424 defendants were federally charged following the event and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-dc\/39-months-since-the-jan-6-attack-on-the-capitol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hundreds ultimately convicted<\/a>, the subject was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/tmpc\/challenge-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">categorized under combatting the threat<\/a>\u00a0of &#8220;Domestic Terrorism and Domestic Violence Extremism.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, serves as an indication that the charged political climate magnifies the domestic terrorism threat,&#8221; the OIG report says.<\/p>\n<p>However, the report acknowledges that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.justice.gov\/news\/doj-oig-announces-initiation-review-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the OIG is reviewing<\/a>\u00a0the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)&#8217;s direction and handling of its confidential human sources (CHS) in the lead-up to and on January 6, 2021, as well as whether the agency exploited its CHSs to obtain incriminating information. &#8220;Implementing the remaining recommendations from the OIG and the U.S. Government Accountability Office reports would ensure the Department is better coordinated and able to meet the DVE [domestic violence extremism] threat while at the same time safeguarding civil liberties.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>To ensure that the agency is free from political influence, DOJ officials ought to strictly adhere to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/ag\/media\/1359366\/dl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">policies and procedures<\/a>\u00a0designed to protect the department from accusations of political influence or politically motivated application of the law, the OIG report recommends. Political appointees should &#8220;exercise discretion and judgment when considering whether to personally involve themselves in DOJ criminal prosecutions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Under the Biden-Harris White House, public trust in the federal government has hovered near record lows. According to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/politics\/2024\/06\/24\/public-trust-in-government-1958-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pew Research<\/a>, in June 2023, fewer than two-in-10 Americans said they trust the government in Washington to do what is right &#8220;just about always&#8221; (1 percent) or &#8220;most of the time&#8221; (15 percent). Those figures were among the lowest trust measures in nearly seven decades of polling.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And This Is Why the Public Doesn&#8217;t Trust the DOJ The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)&#8217;s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has\u00a0released\u00a0its annual report identifying the top management and performance challenges currently facing the federal agency. Among the OIG&#8217;s findings,\u00a0a lack of public trust in the DOJ\u00a0remains a &#8220;longstanding&#8221; problem, Inspector General Michael E. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=105810\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bureaucraps","category-goobermint"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=105810"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105811,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105810\/revisions\/105811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=105810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=105810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=105810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}