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Call to Action: Protect Democracy by Ensuring Government Oversight
On June 20 the president continued his pattern of weekend firings by unexpectedly terminating Geoffery Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Berman had been overseeing many high-profile investigations, including one into President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. Berman’s firing, while legal, did not follow regular norms and patterns. In conjunction with other recent firings, it raises questions about Trump’s repeated removal of government officials actively investigating claims against his administration and his associates. In April and May, President Trump fired five inspectors general, including those looking into allegations of impropriety at the State Department, Department of Defense, and Department of Health and Human Services. Congress has…
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Call to Action: Protect Our Democracy from Abuse of Power
The Department of Justice recently moved to end its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversation with Russia’s ambassador that took place during the presidential transition. More than 2,000 DOJ alumni from across the political spectrum have spoken out against these actions by Attorney General (AG) Barr. This is only the second time these public servants have broken with longstanding tradition and joined as a group to criticize actions by the DOJ. The first was when AG Barr overruled the sentencing recommendation of career prosecutors to seek favorable treatment for President Trump’s close associate, Roger Stone. At that…
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Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on the Politicization of the Department of Justice by Attorney General Barr
February 20, 2020 Attorney General William Barr’s recent politicization of the Department of Justice is an abuse of power that violates the MWEG Principles of Ethical Government. For our democracy to function and corruption to be held at bay, the DOJ must serve as a critical bulwark in the defense of the rule of law, protecting the rights of all citizens. We have witnessed a corruption of criminal justice independence as Attorney General Barr interfered with prosecutorial sentencing recommendations for Roger Stone and supervised the placement of politically supportive U.S. attorneys in key positions. These acts erode the barriers keeping the judicial system free from political interference. When added to…
