Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• FBI investigation into defense contractor corruption halted after Trump administration takes office — A defense contractor allegedly engaged in "campaign cash-for-contracts" dealings with former South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC). The FBI was actively investigating these interactions, but after Trump began his second term, the administration gutted the teams responsible for investigating public corruption, effectively halting the inquiry.

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• DOJ seeks criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson for alleged perjury before Congress — The Department of Justice's civil rights division is pursuing criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide who provided testimony to the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack. Hutchinson testified that Trump attempted to commandeer his SUV to join supporters at the Capitol. The charges involve allegations of lying to Congress. The move is described as highly unusual, as such investigations are typically handled by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
• DOJ seeks federal criminal indictment of Cassidy Hutchinson for perjury — The Department of Justice is pursuing a federal criminal indictment against former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on charges of lying to Congress during her January 6 testimony. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division presented evidence to a federal grand jury on Tuesday and is expected to present additional evidence and witnesses later in October.

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• DOJ blocks civil rights charges against ICE officer Castro — A federal prosecutor working on the case informed lawyers for Julio Sosa-Celis that Justice Department officials had blocked the prosecutor's plans to bring civil rights charges against ICE officer Christian Castro for shooting Sosa-Celis. This represents an obstruction of potential accountability for the use of force against a civilian during immigration enforcement operations.

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• ICE officer Christian Castro indicted for false statements to investigators in shooting of Venezuelan man — Christian Castro, an ICE officer, was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of making false statements to federal investigators regarding the January 2026 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. Castro shot Sosa-Celis in the leg during "Operation Metro Surge," a Trump administration immigration enforcement operation. Castro had previously been charged in state court with assault and false reporting. A federal prosecutor's plans to bring civil rights charges against Castro were blocked by DOJ officials.

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• Texas Governor Abbott refuses to sign extradition warrant for ICE officer Castro — Texas Governor Greg Abbott refused to immediately sign an extradition warrant that would have surrendered ICE officer Christian Castro to Minnesota authorities for state charges of assault and false reporting related to the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. Castro was subsequently released from jail, obstructing Minnesota's prosecution.

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• Trump administration reassigns all USCIS anti-fraud officers to screen South African refugees and investigate alleged unlawful voters — The Trump administration has reassigned all Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) immigration officers at USCIS to two "high-priority" initiatives: screening South African refugees and investigating alleged noncitizen voters. Internal correspondence indicates USCIS cannot provide officers for asylum officer training in the near future. The refugee screening prioritizes South Africans, primarily Afrikaners, while the voter-screening initiative targets noncitizens alleged to have registered or voted. This diversion of anti-fraud personnel raises questions about whether routine asylum application screening has also slowed.
• Federal immigration officers reassigned to voter-data examination — Hundreds of officers in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate were reassigned to examine voter data for possible noncitizen registrations, according to Washington Post reporting. Three former officials stated the reassignment caused regular work screening immigration applications for fraud and security threats to effectively halt. The administration stated it was lawfully cross-referencing voter information. Homeland Security Investigations also sought contractors capable of collecting and delivering voter-registration and voter-history files. The reassignment occurred less than three months before the November midterms.

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• FBI Halts Investigations into ICE Confrontations — Federal agents were informed that the FBI is no longer investigating ICE confrontations, a decision made after multiple killings by federal officers in recent weeks. The move would severely impede evidence collection for potential prosecutions of agents. The DOJ and Department of Homeland Security publicly denied the change, claiming the FBI "will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy."

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• Federal prosecutors resign in protest over DOJ's refusal to investigate ICE shooting — A wave of federal prosecutors in Minnesota and Washington DC resigned in protest over the Justice Department's decision not to hold a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. The resignations reflect internal dissent within the DOJ over the politicization of the civil rights division and the selective application of investigative standards based on the political alignment of the officer involved.

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• DOJ investigates Renee Good's widow for allegedly impeding ICE agent — The Justice Department is investigating Becca Good, the widow of Renee Good, for allegedly impeding ICE agent Jonathan Ross by taunting him moments before he fatally shot her. Deputy Attorney General Blanche promised to "prosecute anyone attacking or obstructing" ICE officers. The investigation of the victim's widow occurs while the DOJ refuses to investigate the fatal shooting itself, creating an asymmetry in which the federal government pursues the family of the deceased but not the agent who killed her.

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• Deputy AG Todd Blanche declined to investigate ICE shooting — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on Fox News that the FBI would not investigate the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, saying the incident had been reviewed by millions of Americans because it was recorded and that the DOJ would not "bow to pressure" to investigate.
• Attorney General Bondi issues warning to Minnesota protesters without addressing ICE shooting — Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a statement that made no mention of Renee Good's death but warned Minnesota protesters that "obstructing, impeding, or attacking federal law enforcement is a federal crime." The statement came as federal prosecutors in Minnesota and Washington DC resigned in protest over the DOJ's decision not to investigate the fatal ICE shooting. The warning appears designed to chill protest and dissent while the department simultaneously investigates the victim's widow for allegedly impeding the ICE agent.
• DOJ declines to investigate ICE agent's fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Sunday that the Justice Department is "not investigating" the January 7, 2026 fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. Blanche stated the department does not investigate "every time an officer is forced to defend himself" and will not "bow to pressure from the media" or politicians. This contrasts sharply with the 2020 Trump DOJ's immediate criminal investigation into George Floyd's death by Minneapolis police, which led to four officers' federal convictions in 2022. Forensic analysis contradicts claims that Good "ran over" the agent.

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• Pam Bondi's letter to Governor Walz linking voter files to immigration enforcement — Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in January suggesting that if he turned over the state's voter files, violent attacks by federal immigration enforcement agencies could end. Legal experts characterized this as coercive and inappropriate, using the threat of continued violence to pressure a state official into surrendering voter data.

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• Erik Siebert resigns as US Attorney after Trump pressure — Erik Siebert, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned on September 19 after facing pressure from Trump to file charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert's predecessor had concluded there was insufficient probable cause to charge Comey.
• US attorney Erik Siebert resigns after Trump demands his removal for failing to indict political rival — Erik Siebert, US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, resigned Friday after his office concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge New York attorney general Letitia James with mortgage fraud. Trump publicly demanded Siebert's removal, claiming James was "very guilty of something" despite the investigation's findings. Trump later claimed he "fired" Siebert. The investigation, led under pressure from Trump ally Ed Martin, centered on allegations James misrepresented a Virginia home purchase; evidence showed conflicting intent but no clear criminal conduct.
• Trump administration fires US Attorney Erik Siebert after he declined to prosecute NY AG Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges lacking evidence — President Trump directed the firing of US Attorney Erik Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia after federal prosecutors found no clear evidence that NY Attorney General Letitia James committed mortgage fraud in her 2023 home purchase. Trump officials had pressured Siebert to bring criminal charges despite the absence of incriminating evidence. Siebert's last day was expected to be September 19, 2025. The firing threatens operational continuity at a major US attorney's office handling espionage and terrorism cases and raises concerns about weaponization of the DOJ against political adversaries.
• Erik Siebert resigned as interim U.S. attorney — Interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert resigned on Friday night following Trump's public demand for his removal. Siebert had declined to prosecute Trump's political opponents despite Trump's pressure.
• U.S. Attorney Erik Seibert resigns after refusing to indict Comey — Erik Seibert, the career prosecutor serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Maryland, resigned on September 19, 2025, after determining in September that there was insufficient evidence to indict former FBI Director James Comey. Seibert's resignation came under pressure from President Trump, who demanded the Justice Department indict Comey and others.
• Trump demanded removal of interim U.S. attorney Erik Siebert — Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he wanted interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert "out" after Siebert declined to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully sued the Trump Organization for fraud, for allegedly committing mortgage fraud. Siebert also declined to prosecute former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress. Siebert was Trump's own pick and had won support from both the Virginia Republican Party and Virginia's Democratic senators.

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• Director of National Intelligence revokes security clearance of ex-CIA officer Joel Willett — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearance of Joel Willett, a former CIA officer, as part of a purge targeting 37 current and former intelligence officials. Gabbard accused those targeted of "politicizing and manipulating intelligence" but provided no supporting evidence. Willett subsequently announced his candidacy for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat as a Democratic candidate, characterizing the clearance revocation as a "nakedly political act that is intended to silence dissent" occurring two weeks after his name surfaced as a potential candidate.

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• Chattah accuses Nevada senators of corruption without evidence — Sigal Chattah, interim U.S. attorney for Nevada, accused Nevada's Democratic U.S. senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen of committing corruption without providing evidence. She made cryptic references to bodies being buried, stating, "You know, a lot of these people, I know that they're scared because I know where a lot of the bodies are buried because I come from the defense world" and "Sometimes we even choose the location to bury them."

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• Essayli pressures subordinates to pursue MAGA-aligned cases — Bill Essayli, interim U.S. attorney for Los Angeles, has repeatedly pressured his subordinates in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office to pursue cases aligned with Trump's political agenda despite warnings of insufficient evidence, according to reporting by Bloomberg Law.
• Sarcone publicly confirms DOJ investigation into New York Attorney General James — John Sarcone III, interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, publicly confirmed the DOJ's investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of Trump's foremost political adversaries. While confirming the probe, Sarcone disparaged James by accusing her of being improper, unprofessional, and unethical. This public confirmation appeared to violate internal DOJ policies regarding commentary on ongoing investigations.

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• Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Charged with Trespassing at ICE Detention Center — Federal prosecutors charged Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka with trespassing and ignoring warnings from Homeland Security Investigations at an ICE detention center. Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba publicly commented on the ongoing investigation, violating Department of Justice policy, stating Baraka "has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state." Ten days later, Habba dropped the case against Baraka.

Supporting reports

• U.S. Attorney Habba Charges Congresswoman LaMonica McIver with Assault — After dropping charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba charged U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) with assaulting, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during Baraka's arrest at the ICE detention center.
• New Jersey Democratic representative LaMonica McIver pleads not guilty to federal charges — LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democratic representative, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday to three felony counts alleging she forcibly interfered with law enforcement during a May 9 confrontation at Delaney Hall federal immigration facility in Newark. Prosecutors claim McIver assaulted two federal officers and prevented the arrest of Newark mayor Ras Baraka during what the government characterizes as an unauthorized protest. McIver contends she was conducting a legitimate congressional oversight visit. If convicted, she faces up to 17 years in prison. The indictment was brought by Alina Habba, a US attorney who previously served as Donald Trump's personal lawyer.
• Rep. LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty to charges related to ICE facility protest — On June 25, Rep. LaMonica McIver pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside a detention facility in New Jersey while conducting an oversight visit. Outside the courthouse, McIver said, "They will not intimidate me. They will not stop me from doing my job."