Pam Bondi misspells DoJ ethic director's name in letter firing him
Tirrell, who led a team ensuring ethical adherence among government lawyers and officials, had approved pro bono legal fees for Special Counsel Jack Smith, though it is unclear if this is related to his firing.
His termination is the latest in a significant departure of career prosecutors from the Justice Department during the Trump administration, following Bondi's purge of staff involved in investigations.
Critics suggest Tirrell's abrupt dismissal highlights Attorney General Bondi's own ethical conflicts and raises concerns about potential hidden issues within the department.
The shake-up at the Justice Department also coincides with the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigations, which has drawn criticism from supporters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Wall Street Journal's Trump story has united MAGA on the Epstein saga over their universal hatred of one thing
More than a week after Donald Trump's base looked like it might be fracturing over the Justice Department's 'no client list' Jeffrey Epstein memo, MAGA world got its 'perfect offramp' in the ongoing saga thanks to the Wall Street Journal's latest bombshell. While on the surface the WSJ's story – which the president fought tooth and nail to keep from being published – should have inflamed the turmoil on the right as it further exposed just how close the president once was with the deceased sex trafficker, it instead offered MAGA pundits and influencers the chance to join Trump in lambasting their shared enemy – the mainstream press. Throughout Thursday, anticipation grew that the WSJ would be dropping a blockbuster report that threatened to blow up the already burgeoning crisis for the Trump administration, especially when it was reported ahead of the story's publication that the president was desperately trying to keep the story from seeing the light of day. When the WSJ finally pulled the trigger, the story didn't disappoint. The outlet revealed that in the early 2000s, Trump wrote a sexually suggestive birthday letter to Epstein in which the future president told the disgraced financier 'we have certain things in common.' The 'bawdy' card, which was included in a 2003 album put together by Epstein's since-jailed partner Ghislaine Maxwell, also featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman with Trump's signature appearing in the woman's pubic area. The text of the letter, which the WSJ said was typewritten, featured an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein. 'Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? … Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' the letter reportedly stated. 'This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story,' Trump told the WSJ in a statement. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words.' (Despite Trump's claims, doodles of his have been included in books for sale in the past.) Following the story's publication, the president – who had started calling the Epstein Files a 'hoax' after the WSJ began contacting him about the report – went on the warpath, threatening to sue the newspaper and Rupert Murdoch, the on-again/off-again Trump ally who owns the publication, and Fox News. 'Mr. Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but, obviously, did not have the power to do so,' Trump grumbled on Truth Social. 'The Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Emma Tucker, was told directly by Karoline Leavitt, and by President Trump, that the letter was a FAKE, but Emma Tucker didn't want to hear that. Instead, they are going with a false, malicious, and defamatory story anyway.' The president would follow that up by saying he looked 'forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper,' adding that it 'will be an interesting experience!!!' At the same time, members of his administration and his family quickly joined the pile-on. With the president going off about how he was 'going to sue his a** off' over the 'FAKE letter,' whatever schism that had formed in the MAGA universe over the administration's handling of the Epstein files quickly melted away as prominent conservative personalities jumped onboard the media hate train. One by one, they lined up to agree with Trump that the letter the WSJ reported on was a fabrication, while blasting both the paper and Murdoch for publishing the story in the first place. 'This is the dumbest attempted hit piece I've ever read,' fumed Megyn Kelly, who just days earlier had blasted Fox News hosts and MAGA influencers for trying to move on from the Epstein controversy. The former Fox star has also been extremely critical of the administration's handling of the Epstein case, joining forces with ex-colleague Tucker Carlson in suggesting Attorney General Pam Bondi is 'covering up' evidence. At the same time, Kelly has recently pushed various conspiracy theories about Epstein working for Israeli intelligence – all while admitting that she has no evidence to back her claims. Former 'first buddy' Elon Musk, who has said the administration's conclusion that Epstein died by suicide and didn't maintain a 'client list' was the 'final straw' for him, also came to the president's defense over the WSJ's 'hit piece.' Despite repeatedly claiming that Trump was withholding documents related to the deceased sex offender because they implicated him, Musk dismissed the latest report. 'It really doesn't sound like something Trump would say tbh,' the Tesla CEO tweeted, later sharing a summary from his AI chatbot Grok that cast doubt on the birthday card's authenticity. Podcaster and serial plagiarist Benny Johnson, who has been at the forefront of pushing the administration to release more Epstein documents amid the MAGA meltdown, unleashed a series of posts raging about the WSJ while peddling conspiracies about the paper's reporting. 'And, by the way, there is a scandal here. The scandal is in who wrote the story. Oh, yeah, baby,' Johnson crowed on his podcast Friday. Even one of Murdoch's employees decided to get in on the action and cheer on the president's threat against the 94-year-old right-wing media titan. 'Sue them into oblivion,' conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted Thursday night, sharing the president's Truth Social tirade against Murdoch. Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer who entered the spotlight as an anti-trans activist, hosts a podcast for Outkick and Fox Nation – which are both owned by Murdoch's media empire. She is also a frequent presence on Fox News and has served as a guest co-host on the network's panel shows. Meanwhile, Gaines' backing of Trump's threatened lawsuit against Murdoch comes just a day after she blasted the president for calling his supporters 'stupid' and 'foolish' for continuing to demand the release of the Epstein files, which he asserted was a 'hoax' perpetrated by Democrats. 'Was it stupid & foolish when he campaigned on releasing the files? Are Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Alina Habba all foolish & stupid for peddling this for the past 6 months?' Gaines reacted, referencing Trump officials who had promised to share 'shocking' findings about Epstein only to later back off. 'Why on earth is he doing this?' As mainstream journalists and pundits have observed, the WSJ story couldn't come at a better time for Trump as it feeds perfectly into the right's reflexive anti-media stance – regardless of the explosive details contained in the report. 'This WSJ story just might be the best thing to happen to Trump since the Epstein story exploded,' Politico's Rachael Bade noted on X. 'For the first time, those who most vocally criticized him/his admins for not releasing enough info, are now rallying to his support. (At least for now... we shall see if this holds.),' she added. 'Seemed unlikely just a few hours ago, but looks like Trump is getting some in MAGA to embrace his new favorite phrase: the 'Epstein hoax.' Is a reminder that nothing unites Rs more than complaints abt the media!' During Friday's broadcast of MSNBC's Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough pointed out that this offered MAGA influencers the 'perfect offramp' to stop focusing on the Epstein scandal. 'Oh, look, look what the big, bad Wall Street Journal did to Donald Trump. He's once again a victim of the lame-stream media,' the MSNBC star added, mimicking pro-Trump voices.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man accused of stockpiling bombs, using Biden photo for target practice, pleads guilty
A Virginia man pleaded guilty Friday in a federal case that accused him of stockpiling the largest number of finished explosives in FBI history and of using then-President Joe Biden's photo for target practice. Brad Spafford pleaded guilty in federal court in Norfolk to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December. Federal authorities said they seized about 150 pipe bombs and other homemade devices last fall at Spafford's home in Isle of Wight County, which is northwest of Norfolk. The investigation into Spafford began in 2023 when an informant told authorities that Spafford was stockpiling weapons and ammunition, according to court documents. The informant, a friend and member of law enforcement, told authorities that Spafford was using pictures of then-President Joe Biden for target practice and that 'he believed political assassinations should be brought back,' prosecutors wrote. Two weeks after the assassination attempt of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2024, Spafford told the informant, 'bro I hope the shooter doesn't miss Kamala," according to court documents. Former Vice President Kamala Harris had recently announced she was running for president. On around the same day, Spafford told the informant that he was pursuing a sniper qualification at the local gun range, court records stated. Numerous law enforcement officers and bomb technicians searched the property in December. Spafford stored a highly unstable explosive material in a garage freezer next to 'Hot Pockets and frozen corn on the cob,' according to court documents. Investigators also said they found explosive devices in an unsecured backpack labeled '#NoLivesMatter.' Spafford has remained in jail since his arrest last December. U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen ruled against his release last January, writing that Spafford has 'shown the capacity for extreme danger.' She also noted that Spafford lost three fingers in an accident involving homemade explosives in 2021. Spafford had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in January. Defense attorneys had argued at the time that Spafford, who is married and a father of two young daughters, works a steady job as a machinist and has no criminal record. Defense attorney Jeffrey Swartz said at Spafford's January detention hearing that investigators had gathered information on him since January 2023, during which Spafford never threatened anyone. 'And what has he done during those two years?' Swartz said. 'He purchased a home. He's raised his children. He's in a great marriage. He has a fantastic job, and those things all still exist for him.' Investigators, however, said they had limited knowledge of the homemade bombs until an informant visited Spafford's home, federal prosecutors wrote in a filing. 'But once the defendant stated on a recorded wire that he had an unstable primary explosive in the freezer in October 2024, the government moved swiftly,' prosecutors wrote.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
GOP congressman claims ICE detention centers are ‘pretty friggin' nice' as concerns rise about conditions
Several Republican lawmakers have pushed back at reports about conditions at immigration detention centers across the country - including issues with overcrowding and maggot-infested food. Over the last few weeks, Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities are crammed with detainees, resulting in limited space to sleep, no privacy to use toilets, and scarce amounts of food. 'I'm not personally inspecting every facility, but I've been in a hell of a lot of them over the years. The facilities I've been in are pretty friggin' nice,' Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told NOTUS. Detention facilities across the country are being forced to accommodate an increasing number of people being arrested and detained as part of President Donald Trump 's mass deportation agenda. In Florida, state leaders have erected Alligator Alcatraz, a temporary holding facility to relieve some of the pressure on other jails. But immigrants detained inside have claimed they are being fed little amounts of maggot-infested food, are unable to sleep due to blinding lights shone 24/7, have little access to bathing water, and have had their religious rights infringed on. Officials have pushed back on Democrats' claims, too. Stephanie Hartman, a spokesperson for the Florida Division of Emergency Management – which manages Alligator Alcatraz, told NBC News, 'The facility meets all required standards and is in good working order.' Hartman said detainees get three meals per day, unlimited drinking water, showers, and other necessities. Republican Rep. Carlos Giménez of Florida told NOTUS he had 'no concerns' about the conditions at the facility. 'It's not full of alligators. It's not full of snakes,' Giménez said, referring to reports that the facility, built in the Florida Everglades, is surrounded by alligators and venomous snakes. Democrats who visited the facility said detainees were 'packed' into cages and that conditions were abusive. Giménez told NOTUS it was difficult to prove or disprove claims about food, but that from what he saw, it was 'adequate.' 'They're not a hotel. This is not the Ritz. It is a detention center, but there's nothing inhumane about what I saw,' Giménez claimed. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told Meet the Press earlier this month that federal detention centers' standards 'are extremely high.' But ICE detention facilities are not codified in law the way federal jails are; rather, they are set up based on individual contracts. This can make it more difficult to track and enforce rules. Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona told NOTUS that he did not see 'anything alarming or controversial' at the detention facility he visited in Eloy, Arizona.
