Senior DOJ Officials Accused of Leaking Investigation Details with Political Motives Ahead of Election – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
5:51 PM – Wednesday, January 1, 2025
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently published a report revealing that three high-ranking officials disseminated details about a confidential investigation just days prior to the election.
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The Office of the Inspector General released a report on Monday, December 30th, outlining an inquiry into the officials sparked by a complaint claiming that their actions were “politically motivated” in disclosing information about a private investigation.
“The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) began an investigation following allegations that certain actions taken by a litigation division were politically motivated and breached DOJ protocols regarding the disclosure of ongoing investigation information,” the statement noted.
All three involved individuals breached the DOJ’s confidentiality and media policy by leaking sensitive information to reporters, with one individual further sharing articles containing the leaked details via a department social media account, breaching additional policy guidelines.
“The OIG investigation determined that three then Senior DOJ officials violated DOJ’s Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy by leaking non-public DOJ investigative information related to ongoing matters to select reporters just days before an election, leading to the publication of two articles featuring this confidential information. Additionally, one of these officials was found to have violated the Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy as well as the DOJ’s Social Media Policy by reposting links to the news articles via a DOJ social media account,” the report detailed.
The three officials involved chose not to respond to requests for interviews, and since they are no longer employees of the DOJ, the “OIG does not have the authority to compel or subpoena testimony from former DOJ staff members.”
Currently, it remains uncertain which specific investigation was leaked, along with the details that were disclosed in the news reports.
“The OIG has concluded its investigation and submitted its report to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and due to the findings of misconduct against attorneys, the report has been forwarded to the Professional Misconduct Review Unit for appropriate actions,” the report pointed out.
The report ended by indicating that it was sent to the office of the special counsel to assess whether the former employees had violated the Hatch Act, which restricts DOJ employees from participating in partisan political activities while on duty, in federal facilities, or using federal property.
“The OIG also submitted its report to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which has exclusive jurisdiction to investigate alleged violations of the Hatch Act, for its considerations regarding whether the actions of these officials constituted a breach of the Hatch Act,” the report concluded.
Furthermore, Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, remarked that the DOJ has a well-established “60 day rule” which prohibits prosecutorial actions that may influence an impending election.
“Regrettably, some prosecutors breach these guidelines for personal or political reasons, contributing to an erosion of trust in federal law enforcement. Prosecutors must exercise caution about the information they share with the media, especially ahead of elections. This is why these DOJ policies exist,” he remarked, as reported by Newsweek.
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