Brad Heath
@bradheath.bsky.social
DC reporter for Reuters on crime, justice and investigations. Data, documents and "convoluted KGB style back-door" stuff. Lawyer, but not yours. 202-527-9709, [email protected]
Pinned
Brad Heath
@bradheath.bsky.social
· Nov 12
How to reach me:
Email: [email protected]
Phone, Signal: 202 527-9709
WhatsApp: 703 835-7998
1333 H St., NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Email: [email protected]
Phone, Signal: 202 527-9709
WhatsApp: 703 835-7998
1333 H St., NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
DOJ has been abandoning a truly incredible share of the criminal cases it filed in D.C. this year.
Today, it asked a judge to dismiss yet another, this one involving a man charged with illegally possessing a gun "in light
of legal and evidentiary issues."
Today, it asked a judge to dismiss yet another, this one involving a man charged with illegally possessing a gun "in light
of legal and evidentiary issues."
November 15, 2025 at 2:37 AM
DOJ has been abandoning a truly incredible share of the criminal cases it filed in D.C. this year.
Today, it asked a judge to dismiss yet another, this one involving a man charged with illegally possessing a gun "in light
of legal and evidentiary issues."
Today, it asked a judge to dismiss yet another, this one involving a man charged with illegally possessing a gun "in light
of legal and evidentiary issues."
Reposted by Brad Heath
Fed. judge holds that the Trump administration engaged in coercive and retaliatory conduct in violation of the First and Tenth Amendments in its pretextual attacks on the University of California system.
PI granted.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
PI granted.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 15, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Fed. judge holds that the Trump administration engaged in coercive and retaliatory conduct in violation of the First and Tenth Amendments in its pretextual attacks on the University of California system.
PI granted.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
PI granted.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Brad Heath
New: FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff
As the FBI’s deputy director, Bongino receives some of the country’s most sensitive secrets, including the President’s Daily Brief. His ascent to that position without passing a standard bureau backgr...
www.propublica.org
November 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
New: FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff www.propublica.org/article/fbi-...
A top DOJ official ordered prosecutors to report examples of "unusual judicial system obstacles" they have faced in carrying out Trump's agenda, an unusual request that escalates a series of confrontations between federal district courts and the Trump administration.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
November 14, 2025 at 7:46 PM
A top DOJ official ordered prosecutors to report examples of "unusual judicial system obstacles" they have faced in carrying out Trump's agenda, an unusual request that escalates a series of confrontations between federal district courts and the Trump administration.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Reposted by Brad Heath
NEW: DOJ has been in settlement talks with Michael Flynn -- Trump's first national security adviser seeking $50M for his prosecution by ex-special counsel Robert Mueller -- and Stefan Passantino, a Trump I White House lawyer who accused the House Jan. 6 committee of privacy violations
bit.ly/4hWdolc
bit.ly/4hWdolc
November 14, 2025 at 2:22 PM
NEW: DOJ has been in settlement talks with Michael Flynn -- Trump's first national security adviser seeking $50M for his prosecution by ex-special counsel Robert Mueller -- and Stefan Passantino, a Trump I White House lawyer who accused the House Jan. 6 committee of privacy violations
bit.ly/4hWdolc
bit.ly/4hWdolc
Only 29% of Americans support using the U.S. military to kill suspected drug traffickers without a judge or court being involved, a rebuke of President Donald Trump's strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
www.reuters.com/world/us/jus...
www.reuters.com/world/us/jus...
November 14, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Only 29% of Americans support using the U.S. military to kill suspected drug traffickers without a judge or court being involved, a rebuke of President Donald Trump's strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
www.reuters.com/world/us/jus...
www.reuters.com/world/us/jus...
Reposted by Brad Heath
NEW: The Nevada Supreme Court has revived the criminal case against the Trump 2020 fake electors, ruling that AG Ford was correct to bring the case in Clark County. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
November 14, 2025 at 2:38 AM
NEW: The Nevada Supreme Court has revived the criminal case against the Trump 2020 fake electors, ruling that AG Ford was correct to bring the case in Clark County. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Reposted by Brad Heath
President Trump has tapped Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew his nomination for the Office of Special Counsel after racist remarks emerged, to become deputy general counsel of the General Services Administration.
Trump moves loyalist to GSA posting after previous nomination fell apart
Paul Ingrassia had withdrawn his nomination as head of Office of Special Counsel after racist remarks and other controversies.
wapo.st
November 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
President Trump has tapped Paul Ingrassia, who withdrew his nomination for the Office of Special Counsel after racist remarks emerged, to become deputy general counsel of the General Services Administration.
Reposted by Brad Heath
NEW: The prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James could be in jeopardy after a federal judge expressed significant doubt that President Trump's handpicked prosecutor was legitimately appointed.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 13, 2025 at 6:31 PM
NEW: The prosecutions of James Comey and Letitia James could be in jeopardy after a federal judge expressed significant doubt that President Trump's handpicked prosecutor was legitimately appointed.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Brad Heath
ICYMI I wrote about Memphis -- a city where shooting have dropped after a large Federal deployment but I have questions about the validity of data being reported about other crimes.
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Walking in Memphis Crime Data
Ma'am, I am tonight.
jasher.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
ICYMI I wrote about Memphis -- a city where shooting have dropped after a large Federal deployment but I have questions about the validity of data being reported about other crimes.
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
WSJ: Fannie Mae watchdogs who were removed from their jobs had been probing if Trump appointee Bill Pulte had improperly obtained mortgage records of key Democratic officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James.
www.wsj.com/finance/regu...
www.wsj.com/finance/regu...
November 11, 2025 at 9:00 PM
WSJ: Fannie Mae watchdogs who were removed from their jobs had been probing if Trump appointee Bill Pulte had improperly obtained mortgage records of key Democratic officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James.
www.wsj.com/finance/regu...
www.wsj.com/finance/regu...
Reposted by Brad Heath
JUST IN: Defense attorneys take another shot at ousting Bill Essayli from running US Attorney's office in L.A., say his own X post shows he's acting as 'inferior officer' without Congressional OK or presidential nomination www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Defense lawyers seek Bill Essayli’s ouster, again
A judge ruled Essayli couldn’t serve as acting U.S. attorney in Los Angeles but allowed him to keep supervising the federal prosecutor’s office.
www.politico.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
JUST IN: Defense attorneys take another shot at ousting Bill Essayli from running US Attorney's office in L.A., say his own X post shows he's acting as 'inferior officer' without Congressional OK or presidential nomination www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Brad Heath
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Reposted by Brad Heath
This is most directly about the fake electors (none of whom face any federal charges anyway) but the actual wording of it is much broader: it's effectively a full and complete blanket pardon for anybody who had anything to do with trying to steal the 2020 election, not just the Jan 6-ers.
The language of this pardon is extremely broad.
It includes “all United States citizens for conduct relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting, activities, participation in, or advocacy for or of any slate or proposed slate of Presidential
electors…”
It includes “all United States citizens for conduct relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting, activities, participation in, or advocacy for or of any slate or proposed slate of Presidential
electors…”
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 AM
This is most directly about the fake electors (none of whom face any federal charges anyway) but the actual wording of it is much broader: it's effectively a full and complete blanket pardon for anybody who had anything to do with trying to steal the 2020 election, not just the Jan 6-ers.
That explains a DOJ jet’s trek from Nashville to Beijing.
Exclusive: FBI chief visited China to talk fentanyl, law enforcement, sources say reut.rs/4nP9A6R
Exclusive: FBI chief visited China to talk fentanyl, law enforcement, sources say
FBI Director Kash Patel visited China last week to discuss fentanyl and law enforcement issues, two people familiar with his trip told Reuters, following a summit between the U.S. and Chinese presidents where both hailed "consensus" on the matter.
reut.rs
November 10, 2025 at 4:58 AM
That explains a DOJ jet’s trek from Nashville to Beijing.
Reposted by Brad Heath
Trump’s pardon attorney Ed Martin claims Trump is pardoning his Georgia co-defendants and other “alternate electors.”
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Trump’s pardon attorney Ed Martin claims Trump is pardoning his Georgia co-defendants and other “alternate electors.”
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Note: Trump’s Georgia co-defendants are charged under state law. The president can’t pardon people for state crimes.
Reposted by Brad Heath
NPR's data analysis shows that the DOJ has tended to fire judges with immigrant defense backgrounds in its recent rounds of dismissals.
The DOJ has been firing judges with immigrant defense backgrounds
NPR's data analysis shows that the DOJ has tended to fire judges with immigrant defense backgrounds in its recent rounds of dismissals.
n.pr
November 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
NPR's data analysis shows that the DOJ has tended to fire judges with immigrant defense backgrounds in its recent rounds of dismissals.
Reposted by Brad Heath
The drop in gun violence in DC following the Federal deployment starting in mid-August has more or less completely subsided.
November 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The drop in gun violence in DC following the Federal deployment starting in mid-August has more or less completely subsided.
Reposted by Brad Heath
Darryl Strawberry, the baseball slugger who won the World Series while with the New York Mets and Yankees, but whose career was tainted by drug use and other legal problems, received a pardon from President Trump for his three-decade-old tax evasion conviction.
Trump Pardons Darryl Strawberry, Former Mets and Yankees Slugger
The eight-time All-Star baseball player pleaded guilty in 1995 to one count of tax evasion. He was sentenced to six months of home confinement.
nyti.ms
November 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Darryl Strawberry, the baseball slugger who won the World Series while with the New York Mets and Yankees, but whose career was tainted by drug use and other legal problems, received a pardon from President Trump for his three-decade-old tax evasion conviction.
Reposted by Brad Heath
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from using furloughed employees’ email accounts to broadcast partisan messages about the shutdown.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 7, 2025 at 10:10 PM
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from using furloughed employees’ email accounts to broadcast partisan messages about the shutdown.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Brad Heath
The Department of Justice, tightly controlled by Trump, wants president’s state level felonies tossed. Via Reuters.
www.reuters.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The Department of Justice, tightly controlled by Trump, wants president’s state level felonies tossed. Via Reuters.
Reposted by Brad Heath
NEW: DOJ alleges that James Comey authorized someone “at the FBI” to anonymously engage w/ the media.
But documents suggest that that “someone”—Daniel Richman—may not have been officially employed by the FBI during any of the communications cited by prosecutors
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/more...
But documents suggest that that “someone”—Daniel Richman—may not have been officially employed by the FBI during any of the communications cited by prosecutors
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/more...
More Trouble for the Comey Indictment?
Public documents may undermine a core premise underlying the charges against James Comey.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:44 PM
NEW: DOJ alleges that James Comey authorized someone “at the FBI” to anonymously engage w/ the media.
But documents suggest that that “someone”—Daniel Richman—may not have been officially employed by the FBI during any of the communications cited by prosecutors
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/more...
But documents suggest that that “someone”—Daniel Richman—may not have been officially employed by the FBI during any of the communications cited by prosecutors
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/more...
Reposted by Brad Heath
SCOOP: Alexander Smirnov, the FBI informant convicted of lying about a fake bribery scheme involving the Bidens has been quietly released from prison just months into a six-year sentence—raising concern he could be pardoned by Trump any moment.
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
FBI Informant Who Lied About Bidens Quietly Released From Jail Sparking Trump Pardon Fears
Alexander Smirnov was quietly furloughed from prison months ago.
jacquelinesweet.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:38 PM
SCOOP: Alexander Smirnov, the FBI informant convicted of lying about a fake bribery scheme involving the Bidens has been quietly released from prison just months into a six-year sentence—raising concern he could be pardoned by Trump any moment.
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
Reposted by Brad Heath
"In dozens of interviews in villages on Venezuela’s breathtaking northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang." apnews.com/article/trum...
Trump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuanced
One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet.
apnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"In dozens of interviews in villages on Venezuela’s breathtaking northeastern coast, from which some of the boats departed, residents and relatives said the dead men had indeed been running drugs but were not narco-terrorists or leaders of a cartel or gang." apnews.com/article/trum...
DHS confirmed it has stopped automatically storing officials' text messages.
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM
DHS confirmed it has stopped automatically storing officials' text messages.
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Instead, officials are supposed to take a screenshot, send that to their work email, download it onto their work computer and run a text-recognition program on it. Every time.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...