Cohen worked on multiple #mafia cases & prosecutions of violent street #gangs.
The 3d individual placed on leave -- a member of the office's #civil division -- posted about #ElonMusk & #EdMartin, a #Jan6 advocate, leader of the Stop the Steal movement & #Trump's nominee for US attorney in Washington, DC.
A spox for the U.S. Attorney's Office for #SDNY declined to comment.
Rachel Maddow is interviewing #HamptonDellinger on her show tonight.
For more info:
#EdMartin’s tweet, posted by the official account for the US Attorney in DC, said:
“As President Trumps’ (sic) lawyers, we are proud to fight to protect his leadership as our President & we are vigilant in standing against entities like the AP that refuse to put America first.”
US Attys are NOT the president’s lawyers. They work for the American people & take an oath to the Constitution & to support the laws of the United States.
In a letter to the inspector general of the Justice Department, Democratic members of the #Senate #Judiciary Committee called for an investigation into Attorney General #PamBondi’s handling of the #EricAdams case, accusing her of weaponizing the department’s prosecutorial power to advance #Trump’s agenda.
Current & former #DOJ officials praised those who had already stepped down, saying they sacrificed their livelihoods & dream jobs [& quite likely their physical safety; defying a #Trump demand pisses ofc his #sturmabteilung] because they were put in an impossible position — told to do something they considered #immoral, #illegal or #unethical.
Part of the consideration for #DOJ lawyers is whether simply signing the document would mean risking their #bar license, since major ethical objections have already been made to dropping the case.
But in those private discussions, many of the lawyers believed it would be a worse outcome if all the section’s lawyers were fired or forced to resign over the #EricAdams case.
Lawyers in the section understand that the outcome is in many ways already determined: Judges have little discretion but to ultimately accept such a motion. Nevertheless, it appears increasingly likely that the trial judge may hold a hearing to question #DOJ ofcls about the decision. Such a hearing could be difficult & embarrassing for the dept’s new leaders.
Before being summoned for the tense meeting, lawyers in the section debated their bad options, but came to increasingly believe that someone should step forward to save the jobs of the others….
#EmilBove, speaking on a video call, demanded that the court motions be signed within an hour… leaving participants with the impression that they might face disciplinary action if no one complied.
Under pressure, #DOJ lawyers felt forced to choose between bad options in the #EricAdams case.
The acting dpty AG, #EmilBove, a #Trump political appointee, made a demand that many of them viewed as improper: One of them needed to sign the official request to dismiss #corruption charges against Adams.
The lawyers knew that those who had already refused had resigned, & they could also be forced out.
#law #ethics #criminal #IndependentJudiciary
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/us/politics/eric-adams-doj-lawyers.html?smid=url-share
