In recent weeks, the US Justice Department under President Trump has indicted two of his longtime adversaries: James Comey, the former FBI director, and Letitia James, the New York attorney general who led a high-profile fraud case against him. Both deny wrongdoing. Letitia James faces bank fraud and false statement charges tied to a mortgage application in Virginia, while Comey has been accused of lying to US Congress and obstructing a proceeding in testimony dating back to 2020, the New York Times reported.
A politicized Justice Department
The department is now led by Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist and former personal lawyer, who brought both sets of charges despite career prosecutors earlier finding insufficient evidence. Dozens of veteran prosecutors have been fired, and U.S. attorneys have been replaced with Trump allies. Critics say this represents the most direct politicization of federal law enforcement in half a century, aimed at punishing political opponents and deterring dissent.
Investigations underway
Beyond the indictments, investigations are ongoing against several prominent figures. Senator Adam Schiff, who helped lead Trump’s first impeachment, is under scrutiny for alleged mortgage fraud. Former national security adviser John Bolton has had his home and office searched in a classified materials case. John Brennan, the former C.I.A. director, is being probed for his role in assessing Russian election interference in 2016. And Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who brought the Georgia election interference case against Trump, has been subpoenaed over her travel records.
Expanding the target list
Even George Soros’s Open Society Foundations has been swept into the net. A Justice Department memo suggested prosecutors consider charges against the liberal grant network ranging from arson to material support of terrorism, though no formal allegations have been made. The move came amid heightened tensions following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which the White House has used to justify investigations into left-leaning groups.
Why these figures are being targeted
The through line among the cases is clear: each of those under indictment or investigation had directly challenged Trump’s legitimacy or policies in past years. James pursued the real estate fraud case that once secured a half-billion-dollar penalty against Trump. Comey led the Russia probe. Schiff drove impeachment. Willis indicted him in Georgia. Brennan and Bolton have been frequent critics of his foreign policy. Trump has repeatedly called them enemies and vowed retribution.
The stakes ahead
Trials are already being set—Comey’s begins in January—and more indictments could follow. Trump’s allies say he is correcting partisan overreach from previous administrations, while his critics warn he is dismantling the independence of the Justice Department to settle scores. With the Gaza deal and rare-earth trade fight dominating global headlines, the domestic reality is that Trump has turned America’s most powerful legal institution into a weapon against his rivals.
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