A grand jury declined Tuesday night to indict two Chicago-area protesters accused of assaulting law enforcement, the latest in a series of shocking failures by the Trump Justice Department.
Obtaining grand jury indictments is generally almost automatic; only prosecutors can present evidence, and the bar is much lower for indicting someone than for proving guilt. But the Trump administration, in its eagerness to crack down on protesters resisting its brutality, was rebuffed by grand juries in Illinois, Washington DC and California.
The official ICE account had bragged online about the arrests of the Chicago-area protesters, promising that they would be “held accountable” and that “we would not be deterred.”
In perhaps the most famous of these jury rebellions, D.C. jurors declined to indict Sean Dunn — the former Justice Department employee who threw a hoagie at an officer — in August, forcing prosecutors to charge him with a misdemeanor instead.
It’s a stunning rebuke, a reflection of the thin pulp prosecutors present as they try to throw the book on protesters for minor infractions — and perhaps an expression of protest against the state violence plaguing these cities in general.
-Kate Riga
A perfectly normal president threatens his political opponents with prison
A short and sweet Social Truth from our Commander in Chief today: “The Mayor of Chicago should be in jail for failing to protect officers from the ice! So should Governor Pritzker!”
“I will not back down,” replied Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D). “Trump is now calling for the arrest of the elected officials who control his power. What else is left on the path to full-fledged authoritarianism?”
“This is not the first time Trump has attempted to unjustly arrest a black man,” added Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D). “I’m not going anywhere.”
The city and state filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s attempt to deploy the National Guard. A federal judge declined to immediately block the deployment earlier in the week and will hold a hearing on the case on Thursday. Meanwhile, reports indicate that troops have arrived in Chicago, a city plagued by escalating state violence.
-Kate Riga
‘Inquiring minds want to know’ why Grijalva didn’t take the oath
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) won the special election to replace her late father two weeks ago. Yet House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has yet to formally induct her into the House of Representatives.
Grijalva is expected to be the 218th and final signature on a discharge petition that will force a floor vote on the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats say Johnson is delaying the swearing-in because he wants to avoid that floor vote.
Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) confronted Johnson outside his office on Wednesday.
Gallego accused Johnson of wanting to “cover up for pedophiles on the Epstein list” during the heated exchange. Johnson fired back, saying it “has nothing to do” with Epstein.
“It’s an excuse for her not to sign,” Gallego said.
“It’s absurd,” Johnson responded, adding, “It’s a publicity stunt.”
House GOP leaders insisted Grijalva would be sworn in when the House session resumes. But Johnson canceled planned votes over the past two weeks. The Speaker has also already administered the oath of office to the members during the pro forma sessions of the House – which they participated in on Wednesday.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also weighed in.
“Why the delay Mike?” Jeffries asked during his Wednesday press conference.
“Does this have anything to do with Republicans’ continued efforts to hide the Epstein files from the American people? » he continued. “Inquiring minds want to know. »
—Emine Yucel
We’ll never stop talking about James Comey
Former FBI Director James Comey, seemingly a permanent fixture in our domestic politics, pleaded not guilty today in federal court.
The evidence against him is so weak that the Trump administration was forced to assign an inexperienced loyalist to the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia to prosecute the case.
Comey’s lawyer said he would seek to dismiss the suit as a “vindictive” and “selective” prosecution, according to the Times (The New York Times also wants its readers to know that Comey “stood up to his full height of 6 feet 8 inches to make his plea” — how much else he might stand remains unclear).
-Kate Riga
In case you missed it
New from TPM: A shortlist of federal data that the Trump administration falsified or destroyed
Morning memo: Key witness undermines Trump’s DOJ witch hunt against Jim Comey
Dispatch from the Supreme Court: Election Denier attempts to make it easier for candidates to challenge voting rules
Rear channel: The shutdown, zombie politics, and how Trump stumbled from being all-powerful
Yesterday’s most read story
Lindsey Halligan will have to overrule career prosecutors to charge Letitia James
What we read
Trump’s Labor Department says its immigration raids are causing a food crisis – The American Prospect
Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say – NBC News
Trump wants to reform drug sales. A business linked to his son will benefit. -The Wall Street Journal
