Ben Penn
@benjaminpenn.bsky.social
Pinned
Ben Penn
@benjaminpenn.bsky.social
· Aug 11
Scoop: DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle is working to get his wedding groomsman & law school housemate installed in a senior DOJ role overseeing white collar enforcement. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ’s Mizelle Said to Push His Groomsman for White Collar Post
Justice Department Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, a leading voice in overhauling law enforcement to meet President Donald Trump’s agenda, is moving to appoint his wedding groomsman and law school housem...
news.bloomberglaw.com
“You caught me,” Mizelle said in a statement. “I associate with smart, hardworking professionals that have achieved incredible success in their careers. Perhaps I should socialize more with people who have spent their entire career as a beat reporter for the 46th most viewed publication in the US.”
UPDATE: Two DOJ line prosecutors have resigned under duress shortly after being asked to join this grand jury team. Both were accused by Miami superiors of leaking about the secretive assignment, and bow out after short, promising careers as prosecutors.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:32 PM
UPDATE: Two DOJ line prosecutors have resigned under duress shortly after being asked to join this grand jury team. Both were accused by Miami superiors of leaking about the secretive assignment, and bow out after short, promising careers as prosecutors.
Reposted by Ben Penn
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Figuring prominently in this effort is a former line prosecutor & law school classmate of US Attorney Reding Quinones. This lawyer, Scott Strauss, was forced out as a fed prosecutor over attempts to investigate 2020 voter fraud conspiracy but now may be returning to DOJ.
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (1)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:10 PM
SCOOP: Inside the Miami US attorney’s office readying grand jury probes into DOJ officials/special counsel’s offices who investigated Trump:
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
- recruiting lawyers
- election conspiracist’s possible return
- MAGA influencer-fueled reorg
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEWS: Up to four FBI agents who were fired yesterday over Arctic Frost, then reinstated b/c US Attorney Pirro said they're critical to an active public corruption probe, have been fired and walked out a 2nd time today. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
FBI Conducts Whiplash Firings, Rehirings Linked to Trump Probe
The FBI fired at least six agents who worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith, only to quickly restore employment Monday for some of them who are pursuing a high-priority public corruption investigatio...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
NEWS: Up to four FBI agents who were fired yesterday over Arctic Frost, then reinstated b/c US Attorney Pirro said they're critical to an active public corruption probe, have been fired and walked out a 2nd time today. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
To be more clear, Patel’s anger is over news of his own personal travel being out there all week. The senior official he forced out oversees FBI aviation teams and many more crisis management functions.
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
The FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Kash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly-available jet logs indicating he’d flown to see his musician ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 1, 2025 at 10:34 PM
To be more clear, Patel’s anger is over news of his own personal travel being out there all week. The senior official he forced out oversees FBI aviation teams and many more crisis management functions.
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
The FBI forced out a senior official overseeing aviation shortly after Director Kash Patel grew outraged about revelations of his publicly-available jet logs indicating he’d flown to see his musician ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Scoop: FBI ousts senior official after Kash Patel’s fury over news of his use of government jet to see girlfriend perform. The removed head of critical incident response group was 27-year FBI veteran who oversaw aviation sections.
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/fbi-o...
US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, flanked by a security detail, attended both days of arguments in a lower-profile case with appeal to President Trump.
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:18 PM
US Attorney Lindsey Halligan, flanked by a security detail, attended both days of arguments in a lower-profile case with appeal to President Trump.
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Jury quickly acquitted man her office accused of soliciting Trump's murder on social media.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: Nominee to lead DOJ Criminal Division tells Senate Judiciary Committee he was mistaken in declaring at his hearing that DOJ rescinded policy on communicating w/ White House. He doesn't retract separate remark that DOJ will soon be updating the policy. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Criminal Chief Pick Misspoke to Senate on White House Policy
A senior Trump Justice Department nominee told senators he “inadvertently misspoke” when declaring at his confirmation hearing that DOJ rescinded its policy on communicating with the White House about...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:59 PM
News: Nominee to lead DOJ Criminal Division tells Senate Judiciary Committee he was mistaken in declaring at his hearing that DOJ rescinded policy on communicating w/ White House. He doesn't retract separate remark that DOJ will soon be updating the policy. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
President Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists and spies, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump DOJ Upheaval in Virginia Hobbles National Security Unit
President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists a...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:41 PM
President Trump’s overhaul of the Virginia US attorney’s office prosecuting his foes has driven out the leadership of its national security unit, draining its experience disrupting terrorists and spies, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEW: Trump's nominee to head DOJ's Criminal Division just said at his Senate hearing that AG Bondi & DAG Blanche will soon be issuing a revised policy on who's allowed to communicate with White House about criminal cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump DOJ Rewriting Policy Governing Contacts With White House
A new policy governing contacts between the Justice Department and the White House is “forthcoming,” according to the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the criminal division.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
NEW: Trump's nominee to head DOJ's Criminal Division just said at his Senate hearing that AG Bondi & DAG Blanche will soon be issuing a revised policy on who's allowed to communicate with White House about criminal cases news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Federal prosecutors obtained an indictment of John Bolton from a federal grand jury in Maryland this afternoon, per Chris Strohm and me:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
John Bolton Indicted Over Handling of Classified Documents
The US Justice Department has charged John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who became one of his fiercest critics, according to a person familiar with the matter.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Federal prosecutors obtained an indictment of John Bolton from a federal grand jury in Maryland this afternoon, per Chris Strohm and me:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Scoop: DOJ scheduled to seek grand jury indictment of John Bolton this afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
DOJ Will Ask Grand Jury to Indict Trump Critic Bolton Thursday
The Justice Department will ask a grand jury Thursday afternoon in Greenbelt, Md., to indict John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who became one of his fiercest cr...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Scoop: DOJ scheduled to seek grand jury indictment of John Bolton this afternoon in Greenbelt, MD. news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
NEW: Chicago US attorney Andrew Boutros stands out from MAGA-devoted top prosecutors in past Dem cities targeted for Trump crackdowns.
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump’s Chicago Crackdown Tests Loyalty of US Attorney Boutros
President Donald Trump’s Chicago crackdown is forcing one of his more conventional US attorneys, Andrew Boutros, to balance the district’s entrenched apolitical traditions against escalating White Hou...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
NEW: Chicago US attorney Andrew Boutros stands out from MAGA-devoted top prosecutors in past Dem cities targeted for Trump crackdowns.
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
His rep as a conventional law-and-order leader will be tested like never before.
With Megan Crepeau: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Overnight scoop from Megan Crepeau and me: A grand jury declined to indict 2 Chicago-area ICE protestors on charges of assaulting agents, an extremely rare rebuke that's been a phenomenon in DC, LA & now Chicago following Trump law enforcement takeovers: news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/g...
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Overnight scoop from Megan Crepeau and me: A grand jury declined to indict 2 Chicago-area ICE protestors on charges of assaulting agents, an extremely rare rebuke that's been a phenomenon in DC, LA & now Chicago following Trump law enforcement takeovers: news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/g...
Reposted by Ben Penn
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Grand Jury Declines to Indict Two Chicago-Area ICE Protesters
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:17 AM
A federal grand jury declined to indict two people charged with assaulting law enforcement agents outside a suburban Chicago ICE facility, an attorney for one of the defendants said, Megan Crepeau and @benjaminpenn.bsky.social report
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEW: We obtained letter showing Trump alerted Senate "as a courtesy" that he's replacing DOJ IG, suggesting he could bypass Congress (despite it being required under IG Act).
"Priorities of my Administration will be better reflected" in new IG. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
"Priorities of my Administration will be better reflected" in new IG. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Veteran Takes Watchdog Role as Trump Shakes Up Oversight (1)
The White House appointed a career Justice Department veteran, Don Berthiaume, as DOJ’s new acting inspector general several months after its longtime watchdog departed.
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:02 PM
NEW: We obtained letter showing Trump alerted Senate "as a courtesy" that he's replacing DOJ IG, suggesting he could bypass Congress (despite it being required under IG Act).
"Priorities of my Administration will be better reflected" in new IG. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
"Priorities of my Administration will be better reflected" in new IG. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: DOJ instructed all US attorney's offices they "should NOT seek a stay on any civil immigration matters" during government shutdown, breaking from how Trump 1 DOJ handled such cases in 2019 shutdown. Civil litigators being told they're not furloughed.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Seeks to Continue Civil Immigration Cases in Shutdown
The Justice Department has directed US attorneys to proceed on all civil immigration cases during the government shutdown, departing from protocols that restricted work on such matters when federal fu...
news.bloomberglaw.com
October 3, 2025 at 4:12 PM
News: DOJ instructed all US attorney's offices they "should NOT seek a stay on any civil immigration matters" during government shutdown, breaking from how Trump 1 DOJ handled such cases in 2019 shutdown. Civil litigators being told they're not furloughed.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
New: DOJ directs all US attorney's offices to prosecute sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children for fraud and other crimes, per internal memo from DAG Blanche.
Story with Ellen Gilmer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Story with Ellen Gilmer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Orders Criminal Charges Against Sponsors of Migrant Children
The Justice Department is directing all 93 US attorney’s offices to prosecute adult sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children for fraud and other crimes, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:33 PM
New: DOJ directs all US attorney's offices to prosecute sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children for fraud and other crimes, per internal memo from DAG Blanche.
Story with Ellen Gilmer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Story with Ellen Gilmer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
President Trump’s replacement of a Virginia US attorney with an inexperienced loyalist underscores the lose-lose situation facing Senate Democrats, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Ouster Forces Senate Democrats into No-Win Situation
President Donald Trump’s politically motivated replacement of a Virginia US attorney with an inexperienced loyalist underscores the lose-lose situation facing Senate Democrats wishing to hold sway ove...
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 26, 2025 at 1:37 PM
President Trump’s replacement of a Virginia US attorney with an inexperienced loyalist underscores the lose-lose situation facing Senate Democrats, @benjaminpenn.bsky.social reports
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
How DOJ's plan to eliminate a high-performing office focused on consumer health & safety has been beset by confusion and delays, including a disagreement between heads of Civil & Criminal divisions over trans care subpoenas. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Rethinks Reorganization Tied to Gender-Affirming Care Probes
The Justice Department’s civil division is retaining criminal authority on healthcare statutes being used to probe children’s hospitals on gender-affirming care, backtracking from an April plan to tra...
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
How DOJ's plan to eliminate a high-performing office focused on consumer health & safety has been beset by confusion and delays, including a disagreement between heads of Civil & Criminal divisions over trans care subpoenas. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Exclusive: Trump administration’s criminal probes of children’s hospitals over trans care are colliding with White House’s reorg to slash bureaucracy, leading to a disorderly rollout at DOJ that lawyers describe as anything but efficient. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Rethinks Reorganization Tied to Gender-Affirming Care Probes
The Justice Department’s civil division is retaining criminal authority on healthcare statutes being used to probe children’s hospitals on gender-affirming care, backtracking from an April plan to tra...
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 22, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Exclusive: Trump administration’s criminal probes of children’s hospitals over trans care are colliding with White House’s reorg to slash bureaucracy, leading to a disorderly rollout at DOJ that lawyers describe as anything but efficient. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: Trump's planned nominee for US attorney in Eastern VA, Lindsey Halligan, arrives today as interim chief prosecutor. She's sworn in by Bondi to get to work in an office under pressure to indict Tish James. w/ @suzannemonyak.bsky.social news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
Halligan Sworn In as Top Prosecutor in Eastern Virginia
Lindsey Halligan has been sworn in as interim US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, two days after another conservative lawyer was installed to lead the office in an acting capacity.
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 22, 2025 at 6:16 PM
News: Trump's planned nominee for US attorney in Eastern VA, Lindsey Halligan, arrives today as interim chief prosecutor. She's sworn in by Bondi to get to work in an office under pressure to indict Tish James. w/ @suzannemonyak.bsky.social news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-...
NEWS: Virginia's ousted US attorney, who resisted Letitia James indictment, is replaced today by Maggie Cleary, an inexperienced prosecutor who recently expressed a desire to end DOJ weaponization for Trump. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
September 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM
NEWS: Virginia's ousted US attorney, who resisted Letitia James indictment, is replaced today by Maggie Cleary, an inexperienced prosecutor who recently expressed a desire to end DOJ weaponization for Trump. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Scoop: Trump DOJ departs from protocols that prevented politicized civil rights hiring to restock a depleted division. At least two new hires were removed or suspended from prior prosecutor jobs while facing complaints. With @suzannemonyak.bsky.social:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Trump DOJ Said to Unwind Apolitical Civil Rights Career Hiring
The Justice Department is consolidating civil rights attorney hiring authority with a handful of Trump-aligned supervisors, departing from practices that were designed to avoid politicization, accordi...
news.bloomberglaw.com
September 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Scoop: Trump DOJ departs from protocols that prevented politicized civil rights hiring to restock a depleted division. At least two new hires were removed or suspended from prior prosecutor jobs while facing complaints. With @suzannemonyak.bsky.social:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...