Latest news with #FederalProsecutors
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Pam Bondi knifes January 6 prosecutors in late-night bloodbath
The Trump administration took revenge against at least three federal prosecutors who worked on cases against January 6 rioters by firing them. Attorney General Pam Bondi sacked the prosecutors on Friday, telling them they were 'removed from federal service effective immediately.' In a copy of one of the dismissal letters first reported by NBC News, Bondi did not specify why the prosecutors were out of the job. The firings are the first time that career prosecutors who investigated the riot at the Capitol four years ago had been laid off, but it is far from Trump's first act of retribution over the violent protests since he retook the White House. Soon after his inauguration, Trump fired several probationary federal prosecutors - those who were either recently hired or in new positions - who had worked the January 6 cases. The president also pardoned all his supporters who were arrested during the January 6 riots, sparking backlash from critics as even some convicted of violently assaulting police officers were freed. Trump also fired probationary prosecutors who aided special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into whether the president attempted to unlawfully overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The president's use of the Justice Department has come under scrutiny in recent months as he has been accused of using it to carry out personal vendettas and to aid his political supporters. Friday's firings reportedly came at a tense time at the Justice Department as Trump's handling of the January 6 case causes ire among career federal workers. Insiders in the DOJ told NBC News that the apparent targeting of prosecutors who had investigated the president has upended the department. One federal law enforcement official told the outlet that they found the firings 'horrifying', as others said it would make them hesitant to engage in possible investigations into the White House. 'To fire them, without explanation, is a slap in the face not only to them, but to all career DOJ prosecutors,' the official said. 'No one is safe from this administration's whims and impulses. 'And the public certainly is not served by the continued brain drain of DOJ — we are losing the best among us every day.' Bondi's move came the same day that she celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that decided that individual judges lack the power to issue nationwide injunctions - a historic ruling in a case about the right to birthright citizenship. The ruling was seen as a big victory for Trump as it allows his executive order halting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants to take effect in states and jurisdictions that did not directly challenge his action in court. It could mean citizenship rules vary from state to state, pending ongoing litigation. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Trump, with all six conservative justices - including the three he appointed - siding with the president. Speaking at the White House, Trump said: 'This was a big one. Amazing decision, one we're very happy about. This really brings back the Constitution. This is what it's all about.' Bondi joined Trump on stage to mark the victory, saying that the ruling meant 'not one district court judge can think they're an emperor over this administration and his executive powers, and why the people of the United States elected him.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pam Bondi knifes January 6 prosecutors in late-night bloodbath
The Trump administration took revenge against at least three federal prosecutors who worked on cases against January 6 rioters by firing them. Attorney General Pam Bondi sacked the prosecutors on Friday, telling them they were 'removed from federal service effective immediately.' In a copy of one of the dismissal letters first reported by NBC News, Bondi did not specify why the prosecutors were out of the job. The firings are the first time that career prosecutors who investigated the riot at the Capitol four years ago had been laid off, but it is far from Trump's first act of retribution over the violent protests since he retook the White House. Soon after his inauguration, Trump fired several probationary federal prosecutors - those who were either recently hired or in new positions - who had worked the January 6 cases. The president also pardoned all his supporters who were arrested during the January 6 riots, sparking backlash from critics as even some convicted of violently assaulting police officers were freed. Trump also fired probationary prosecutors who aided special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into whether the president attempted to unlawfully overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The president's use of the Justice Department has come under scrutiny in recent months as he has been accused of using it to carry out personal vendettas and to aid his political supporters. Friday's firings reportedly came at a tense time at the Justice Department as Trump's handling of the January 6 case causes ire among career federal workers. Insiders in the DOJ told NBC News that the apparent targeting of prosecutors who had investigated the president has upended the department. One federal law enforcement official told the outlet that they found the firings 'horrifying', as others said it would make them hesitant to engage in possible investigations into the White House. 'To fire them, without explanation, is a slap in the face not only to them, but to all career DOJ prosecutors,' the official said. 'No one is safe from this administration's whims and impulses. 'And the public certainly is not served by the continued brain drain of DOJ — we are losing the best among us every day.' Bondi's move came the same day that she celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that decided that individual judges lack the power to issue nationwide injunctions - a historic ruling in a case about the right to birthright citizenship. The ruling was seen as a big victory for Trump as it allows his executive order halting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants to take effect in states and jurisdictions that did not directly challenge his action in court. It could mean citizenship rules vary from state to state, pending ongoing litigation. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Trump, with all six conservative justices - including the three he appointed - siding with the president. Speaking at the White House, Trump said: 'This was a big one. Amazing decision, one we're very happy about. This really brings back the Constitution. This is what it's all about.' Bondi joined Trump on stage to mark the victory, saying that the ruling meant 'not one district court judge can think they're an emperor over this administration and his executive powers, and why the people of the United States elected him.'
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Brazil strikes deal with Musk's Starlink to curb criminal use in the Amazon rainforest
Brazil's Federal Prosecutor's Office announced Friday a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink to curb the use of its services in illegal mining and other criminal activities in the Amazon. Starlink's lightweight, high-speed internet system has rapidly spread across the Amazon, a region that for decades struggled with slow and unreliable connectivity. But the service has also been adopted by criminal organizations, which have used it to coordinate logistics, make payments and receive alerts about police raids. It's the first agreement of its kind aimed at curbing such use following years of pressure from Brazilian authorities. Starlink, a division of Musk's SpaceX, will begin requiring identification and proof of residence from all new users in Brazil's Amazon region starting in January. The company will also provide Brazilian authorities with user registration and geolocation data for internet units located in areas under investigation. If a terminal is confirmed to be used for illegal activity, Starlink has committed to blocking the service. The deal is for two years and can be renewed. Illegal gold mining has contaminated hundreds of miles of Amazon rivers with mercury and disrupted the traditional lives of several Indigenous tribes, including the Yanomami. Starlink, which first arrived in the region in 2022, has enabled criminal groups to manage mining operations in remote areas, where logistics are complex and equipment and fuel must be transported by small plane or boat. 'The use of satellite internet has transformed the logistics of illegal mining. This new reality demands a proportional legal response. With the agreement, connectivity in remote areas also becomes a tool for environmental responsibility and respect for sovereignty,' federal prosecutor André Porreca said in a statement. Illegal gold miners and loggers have always had some form of communication, mainly via radio, to evade law enforcement. Starlink, with its fast and mobile internet, has significantly enhanced that capability, Hugo Loss, operations coordinator for Brazil's environmental agency, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. 'They've been able to transmit in real time the locations of enforcement teams, allowing them to anticipate our arrival, which seriously compromises the safety of our personnel and undermines the effectiveness of operations,' Loss said. 'Cutting the signal in mining areas, especially on Indigenous lands and in protected areas, is essential because internet access in these locations serves only criminal purposes.' Jair Schmitt, head of environmental protection for the agency, said what's also needed is tighter regulation on the sale and use of such equipment. The AP emailed James Gleeson, SpaceX's vice president of communications, with questions about the deal, but didn't immediately receive a response. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Philadelphia's schools accused of failing to properly inspect asbestos in buildings
PHILADELPHIA — Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged Philadelphia's public schools with failing to properly inspect eight schools for damaged asbestos. The district agreed to have the criminal case deferred while it pays for a court supervised monitor to keep tabs on its response. Prosecutors said it was the first time a school district in the U.S. has faced such environmental criminal allegations.
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Daily Mail
R Kelly denied release from prison just days after overdose
Disgraced singer R Kelly has been denied release from prison just days after his lawyers claimed he overdosed as a result of a botched murder plot. The former R&B star's legal team filed a motion on June 17 to have him sent to home confinement rather than being behind bars due to the 'imminent' threat to his life. But Judge Martha Pacold ruled that there was 'no legal basis for this court's jurisdiction' and threw the request out. The artist's lawyers claimed last week that Kelly had suffered an overdose after prison guards deliberately gave him too much anxiety medication. They also claimed that the 58-year-old, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was forcibly removed from hospital despite doctors finding blood clots in his legs that required surgery. Federal prosecutors rejected these allegations at the time as 'deeply unserious' and said the latest motion made 'a mockery' of the abuse suffered by Kelly's victims. They added that 'every convicted murderer, rapist, and terrorist will have a newfound shot at freedom' if Kelly was to be released from prison. Despite this and the recent rejection to have Kelly sent to home confinement, his lawyer Beau Brindley said he and his legal team would file a new motion based on what he called 'newly discovered evidence.' Mr Brindley said the request would also call for immediate bail 'pending its litigation'. 'We are not surprised by this ruling as we knew that technical jurisdiction would be a challenge under these circumstances,' Mr Brindley told USA TODAY. 'However, we had no choice but to act immediately given explicit evidence of a threat to Robert Kelly's life.' The news organisation said as of June 19, Mr Brindley and his team had not yet filed the new motion. Kelly was allegedly put in solitary confinement 'against his will' in response to a separate filing from his attorneys which claimed three prison officials hatched a plot to have him killed by a white supremacist gang. His legal team cited a sworn declaration from terminally ill inmate named Mikeal Glenn Stine in which he alleged the prison officials asked him to carry out the singer's murder. Kelly requested he be placed on house arrest for his crimes - which included convictions for child pornography and enticing minors for sex. Prosecutors called the attempt to be freed from his sex crimes sentence 'repugnant'. Stine, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang, alleged that high-ranking officials in the prison system offered him the opportunity to escape from prison and live out his final months as a 'free man' before his terminal illness kills him. In the filing, it was further alleged that Stine was pressured to carry out the killing in March when he was transferred to Kelly's unit, and was told by staff: 'You need to do what you came here for.' Stine said he stalked Kelly for months as he considered the assassination plot, but changed his mind and told the singer about the plan to kill him, according to the filing cited by The Independent. The singer's attorneys say they became aware of a second plot in June to have a different member of the Aryan Brotherhood kill both Kelly and Stine. Kelly's attorneys have also requested a pardon from President Donald Trump, saying the singer, 'does not have the luxury to wait for vindication from the Courts that will follow the exposure of the corruption at the heart of his prosecutions.' The attorneys previously claimed they 'are engaged in conversations with multiple persons close to the White House and to President Trump'. Kelly was convicted in 2021 and 2022 for racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography and enticement. A New York City federal court sentenced him to 30 years in prison in 2022 and he was sentenced to 20 years in jail in a Chicago federal court the year after. Evidence at trial in New York included testimony from more than 10 victims, as well as video and DNA evidence. In the Chicago trial it emerged that Kelly enticed multiple underage girls to engage in sexual activity which he recorded. Kelly met his victims in the late 1990s and engaged in sex acts with them when they were as young as 14, 15 and 16 years old before covering up the acts. The singer has been behind bars since July 2019, and is now at the prison that housed late Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. He will be 78 when eligible for release in 2045. MailOnline approached The Bureau of Prisons for comment.
