Indiana woman gets 6½ years for financing terrorism
An Indiana woman who pleaded guilty to providing financial support to the Islamic State group has been sentenced to 6½ years in prison, the Justice Department said Monday.
Department of Justice
Articles
AG Barr tells DOJ to probe election fraud claims if they exist
Attorney General William Barr has authorized federal prosecutors across the U.S. to pursue “substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, if they exist, before the 2020 presidential election is certified, despite no evidence of widespread fraud.
Whistleblower ATF agent wins appeal; 7th Circuit blasts administrative judge
A federal law enforcement agent who filed a whistleblower complaint claiming he was retaliated against after he alleged another agent committed perjury during a criminal trial won his appeal, and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals harshly criticized a judge it said ignored its orders in a prior remand.
Indiana Southern District receives $5.6M to fight violent crime
Indiana has received more than $5 million in federal funding to combat violent crime, including money designated for curbing crime in Indianapolis, where annual homicides have reached record levels.
Walmart sues US in pre-emptive strike in opioid abuse battle
Walmart is suing the U.S. government in a pre-emptive strike in the battle over its responsibility in the opioid abuse crisis.
Justice Department files landmark antitrust case against Google
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging Google has been abusing its dominance in online search to stifle competition and harm consumers. Attorneys general from 11 states, including Indiana, are plaintiffs in the case.
7th Circuit reverses stay of death row inmate’s federal execution
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday reversed a stay of execution for a Louisiana man scheduled to die by lethal injection in an Indiana federal prison, finding he does not meet the stringent requirements for savings-clause eligibility.
Former Indiana lawmakers, casino exec indicted in federal campaign finance scheme
Two former state lawmakers have been charged in federal court in Indianapolis with violations of campaign finance laws, the Indiana Southern District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
7th Circuit denies bid to stay execution of Black man convicted of murder
The first Black man scheduled to be executed since the resumption of lethal injection on federal death row lost his appeal for a stay Friday when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found he had almost no chance of relief arguing his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and that the judge who condemned him was an alcoholic.
Barr takes aim at federal prosecutors, takes heat for slavery remarks
Attorney General William Barr took aim at his own Justice Department on Wednesday night, criticizing prosecutors for behaving as “headhunters” in their pursuit of prominent targets in what he said were “ill-conceived” political probes. Barr also was criticized for comparing pandemic lockdowns to slavery.
In Anthem-Cigna ‘soap opera,’ judge hands damages to neither
A Delaware judge rebuffed efforts by both Cigna Corp. and Anthem Inc. to collect billions over their failed merger, saying Cigna had breached its obligations but the merger was likely to have been blocked on antitrust grounds anyway.
Only Native American on federal death row executed
The only Native American on federal death row was put to death Wednesday, despite objections from many Navajo leaders who had urged President Donald Trump to halt the execution on the grounds it would violate tribal culture and sovereignty.
Barr ‘vehemently opposed’ to pardoning Snowden
Attorney General William Barr said he would be “vehemently opposed” to any attempt to pardon former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, after the president suggested he might consider it.
Indiana police to stop blocking roads during executions
Indiana State Police agreed Friday to stop blocking roads to the federal prison in Terre Haute where federal executions resumed last month and are set to continue, backing down after anti-death penalty activists said in a lawsuit the roadblocks impeded their free speech rights.
Indianapolis to get funding for new federal violent crime-fighting effort
An operation to end violent crime created in honor of a 4-year-old who was shot and killed in his sleep will now be expanded to Indianapolis, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
Navajo man loses latest bid to delay federal execution
The only Native American on federal death row lost a bid Thursday to push back his execution date. Unless Lezmond Mitchell gets relief from another court or is granted clemency, he will be put to death Aug. 26 at the federal prison in Terre Haute where he is being held.
Native American man seeks further delay of federal execution
Attorneys for the only Native American on federal death row are asking a judge to delay his upcoming execution while they argue that the procedures should be consistent with Arizona law.
Appeals court seems wary of ordering dismissal of Flynn case
A federal appeals court in Washington appeared inclined Tuesday to let a judge decide on his own whether to grant the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Man who allegedly targeted Black neighbor with swastika, slurs charged with hate crime
An Indiana man, allegedly angered by the removal of a tree, is charged with a hate crime for attempting to intimidate an African American neighbor because of his race, the U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday.
Resumed federal executions further divide country
The deaths of Daniel Lewis Lee, Wesley Ira Purkey and Dustin Honken roused the anger of civil liberties lawyers, who say the executions were carried out in a rushed and even unlawful manner. The overarching question in public discussion has been “why” — why did Attorney General William Barr make the executions a priority? And why were they carried out while the country was dealing with a pandemic, racial unrest and a looming election?