Two senior Justice Department officials unleashed a pair of blistering social media attacks Saturday, with one threatening to investigate alleged political meddling and the other dismissing law professors as “clowns.”
U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz, the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Texas, accused former Obama administration officials of encouraging foreign governments to gather evidence against Trump administration officials.
“This kind of seditious meddling may be illegal,” Reitz wrote on X.
“DOJ will smoke it out,” he warned. “ More to come.”
Reitz was responding to an article published in May by legal experts at Just Security examining whether foreign governments could prosecute American officials over deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats.
The authors suggested foreign governments could quietly collect evidence and potentially pursue charges after President Donald Trump leaves office. They also discussed the possibility of prosecutions by a future administration.
Just 10 minutes later, acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, the Justice Department’s second-ranking official, launched his own attack against legal scholars.
“Politico quote below is proof that most law professors are clowns,” McCotter posted on X.
The top government prosecutor took issue with Georgetown law professor David Rapallo, who called the White House’s approach to congressional oversight “a little ridiculous,” arguing that Congress’s oversight powers are enumerated in the Constitution.
“Congress’s oversight power is NOT enumerated in the Constitution,” McCotter wrote, citing a 2020 Supreme Court ruling.
There was no indication that the two posts were connected. But Reitz’s remark in particular drew criticism from Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall, who accused the Trump-appointed prosecutor of abusing his position.
“Crooked Trump US Atty lying again to fellate the old man in the White House,” Marshall wrote on X. “Another clear abuse of office. Keep records on this clown.”
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