Watchdog Group Files FOIA Lawsuit for Records on DOJ Tax Attorneys Assigned to White House

CJ Ciaramella
May 28, 2015 4:11 PM

The watchdog group Cause of Action is suing the Justice Department for records on what is says are possible unethical disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to the White House, the organization announced Thursday.

IRS Drops Asset Forfeiture Case Against NC Business Owner After Media Scrutiny

IRS to return $107K seized by agents

CJ Ciaramella
May 14, 2015 3:17 PM

Federal prosecutors have dropped an attempt to seize $107,000 from a North Carolina small business owner using asset forfeiture laws following several weeks of media scrutiny.

Perry Calls for ‘Common Sense’ Reforms to Criminal Justice System

CJ Ciaramella
May 13, 2015 9:05 AM

In a new video released Wednesday, former Texas governor and likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry called for prison and sentencing reforms to reduce incarceration rates in the United States.

Passengers Accuse TSA Agents of Sexual Assault

Judicial Watch FOIA request reveals complaints against TSA pat downs

CJ Ciaramella
May 13, 2015 5:00 AM

Passengers at several of the busiest airports in the United States complained that they felt “shocked,” “violated,” and “humiliated” by pat downs performed by Transportation Security Administration screeners, documents obtained by the watchdog group Judicial Watch show.

DEA Seizes Amtrak Passenger’s Life Savings Without Charging Him with Crime

Latest case to highlight practice of civil asset forfeiture

CJ Ciaramella
May 12, 2015 4:59 AM

Joseph Rivers, a 22-year-old Michigan resident, was on his way to Los Angeles in April to fulfill his dream of becoming a music video producer, according to Rivers and his lawyer, when federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) boarded his Amtrak train during a stop in Albuquerque.

Justice Department Requests Investigation of Quid Pro Quo Hiring and Wasteful Spending at U.S. Marshals Service

CJ Ciaramella
May 7, 2015 6:35 PM

The Justice Department has requested that its inspector general conduct an independent investigation into allegations of quid pro quo hiring and wasteful spending at the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the department said in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) Thursday.

Judicial Watch Files Seven New Lawsuits Against State Dept for Hillary Emails

CJ Ciaramella
May 6, 2015 4:43 PM

The conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch has filed seven more Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against the State Department regarding former secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s emails, the group announced Wednesday.

DEA Agents Left College Student in Cell for Five Days, Receive Light Punishments

Student went without water, food

CJ Ciaramella
May 6, 2015 5:00 AM

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents who left a 23-year-old UC San Diego student locked in a holding cell for five days without food or water received only light punishments, according to the Justice Department.

Judicial Watch Sues State Department for Records on Hillary’s iPad Use

More lawsuits expected to follow in coming weeks

CJ Ciaramella
April 30, 2015 4:20 PM

The watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department Thursday seeking paperwork on Hillary Clinton’s request to use an iPad or iPhone for official government business while serving as secretary of state.

Grassley Signals Openness to Some Sentencing Reform

Willing to consider cuts to federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines

CJ Ciaramella
April 27, 2015 2:30 PM

Under pressure from a bipartisan coalition of criminal justice reform advocates, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday he is willing to consider some cuts to federal mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines, but that across-the-board cuts were off the table.