Washington D.C., U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and four others face a congressional probe into "appalling" prosecutorial misconduct in the Justice Department.
On Wednesday, letters from House Judiciary ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) revealed that U.S. attorneys from five districts, including Pirro, are in the crosshairs of an investigation into prosecutorial misconduct, NOTUS reported.
According to the letter sent to Pirro, Raskin is asking that she "be more forthcoming with Congress about the appalling breakdown of prosecutorial standards and ethics taking place in your jurisdiction."
The letter also noted that Attorney General Todd Blanche was sent a letter "about the shocking pattern of Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys lying to federal courts, misrepresenting facts, withholding material information from federal judges, and evading or defying lawful court orders." However, Blanche "failed to respond to this letter by the requested deadline," according to the letter.
Reporting by NOTUS noted that the congressional investigation could gain steam if Democrats retake the House after the November midterms, which would make Raskin the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Others targeted by Raskin's investigation include U.S. attorneys in Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and the Northern District of Illinois, according to NOTUS. Investigators are probing faulty subpoenas served on a Rhode Island hospital that provides gender-affirming care and the way Illinois federal prosecutors broke grand jury rules to get an indictment against the Broadview Six, a group of anti-ICE protesters, NOTUS reported.
The letter to Pirro calls out a lack of candor by her office and demands records, including emails, resignation letters, and meeting notes.
"Both the House Committee on the Judiciary and independent observers have identified your office as one of the most significant and routine violators of basic legal and ethical standards, like the duty of showing candor to the court and the obligation to comply with judicial orders," the letter to Pirro read. "Multiple federal judges in your district have questioned the candor and honesty of your attorneys and your voluntary compliance with binding court orders."
