Ben Penn
@benjaminpenn.bsky.social
Bloomberg Law reporter covering the Justice Department
Bpenn@bloombergindustry.com
Signal: benpenn.06
Bpenn@bloombergindustry.com
Signal: benpenn.06
Pinned
Ben Penn
@benjaminpenn.bsky.social
· Nov 10
DOJ Miami Office Readies Conspiracy Probe Into Trump Enemies (2)
The South Florida US attorney’s office is recruiting prosecutors and restructuring its chain of command in preparation for a grand jury investigation expected to target former Justice Department offic...
news.bloomberglaw.com
Re-upping this on life inside the DOJ Miami office that’s become ground zero for Trump enemies prosecutions: resignations, recruiting outsourced to a voter fraud conspiracist, crim chief walled off after Posobiec post. Tensions continue to rise. My story:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Important reporting, which also provides fuller picture of what preceded DOJ’s lenient deal for Venezuelan banker accused of bribery. It wasn’t just former Trump lawyer lobbying DAG’s office, per @bloomberglaw.com exclusive, but also daughter’s $2.5m donation. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
December 22, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Important reporting, which also provides fuller picture of what preceded DOJ’s lenient deal for Venezuelan banker accused of bribery. It wasn’t just former Trump lawyer lobbying DAG’s office, per @bloomberglaw.com exclusive, but also daughter’s $2.5m donation. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Dropped FIFA Bribery Case at Trump Official’s Behest
The Justice Department’s solicitor general effectively ordered Brooklyn prosecutors to abandon two FIFA bribery convictions amid pushback from their Trump-appointed US attorney—potentially unraveling ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Dropped FIFA Bribery Case at Trump Official’s Behest
The Justice Department’s solicitor general effectively ordered Brooklyn prosecutors to abandon two FIFA bribery convictions amid pushback from their Trump-appointed US attorney—potentially unraveling ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Scoop w/ @pathurtado37: DOJ Solicitor General John Sauer directed Trump's EDNY US attorney Nocella to abandon his office's FIFA bribery convictions. Nocella tried pushing back but wasn't given a meeting. Now US may need to return millions in penalties. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
NEW: DC US Attorney Pirro demoted criminal chief picked by Ed Martin after numerous court setbacks. Pirro had long sought to replace him, but abrupt demotion said to be linked to his handling of lawsuit that may tank DOJ's ability to re-charge James Comey. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Pirro Demotes Criminal Head as Court Losses Multiply
Chief DC prosecutor Jeanine Pirro demoted the criminal chief leading her office’s implementation of Trump’s agenda, following numerous court setbacks including a ruling that imperils the administratio...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 16, 2025 at 11:02 PM
NEW: DC US Attorney Pirro demoted criminal chief picked by Ed Martin after numerous court setbacks. Pirro had long sought to replace him, but abrupt demotion said to be linked to his handling of lawsuit that may tank DOJ's ability to re-charge James Comey. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEW: DC US Attorney Pirro demoted criminal chief picked by Ed Martin after numerous court setbacks. Pirro had long sought to replace him, but abrupt demotion said to be linked to his handling of lawsuit that may tank DOJ's ability to re-charge James Comey. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
US Attorney Pirro Demotes Criminal Head as Court Losses Multiply
Chief DC prosecutor Jeanine Pirro demoted the criminal chief leading her office’s implementation of Trump’s agenda, following numerous court setbacks including a ruling that imperils the administratio...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 16, 2025 at 11:02 PM
NEW: DC US Attorney Pirro demoted criminal chief picked by Ed Martin after numerous court setbacks. Pirro had long sought to replace him, but abrupt demotion said to be linked to his handling of lawsuit that may tank DOJ's ability to re-charge James Comey. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Halligan’s No. 2 Resigned Past DOJ Role After Staff Complaints
Chief federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan’s new deputy—and potential successor—resigned from his prior senior Justice Department role amid complaints about his rigid management style, according to fou...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Halligan’s No. 2 Resigned Past DOJ Role After Staff Complaints
Chief federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan’s new deputy—and potential successor—resigned from his prior senior Justice Department role amid complaints about his rigid management style, according to fou...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
NEW: Lindsey Halligan's next-in-line as top prosecutor in EDVA, Robert McBride, resigned from prior senior role at a different US attorney's office in 2010 amid multiple employee complaints about his management. External DOJ report recommended he step down. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Attention is rightly focused on ex-DOJ civil rights workers condemning Trump mission overhaul. But read full statement from a current Civil Rights Division employee about the workplace struggles for the minority who haven’t left, excerpted in our story earlier
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
December 10, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Attention is rightly focused on ex-DOJ civil rights workers condemning Trump mission overhaul. But read full statement from a current Civil Rights Division employee about the workplace struggles for the minority who haven’t left, excerpted in our story earlier
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Ex-Civil Rights Div attorneys blast Trump DOJ overhaul while current employee says, "We are working in an environment of hostility & disrespect from leadership...we never know who is going to be forced to stop their work or be terminated or transferred" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Limits Civil Rights Unit as Ex-Staff Decry ‘Destruction’ (1)
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will focus solely on “intentional discrimination” in its regulation of federally funded programs in the latest effort by the Trump administration to reor...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Ex-Civil Rights Div attorneys blast Trump DOJ overhaul while current employee says, "We are working in an environment of hostility & disrespect from leadership...we never know who is going to be forced to stop their work or be terminated or transferred" news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI - Justice Dept. leaders & White House wreaked 'havoc' by eliminating a Trump I priority of supporting prosecutors combing through mountains of electronic evidence, per resigning official. Digital data challenges have derailed key cases for DOJ.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Ex-DOJ Official Says Trump Team Ditched Digital Litigation Focus
Justice Department leaders abandoned a Trump first-term priority of addressing litigation challenges for prosecutors overwhelmed by electronic evidence, said a DOJ official in a scathing farewell mess...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM
ICYMI - Justice Dept. leaders & White House wreaked 'havoc' by eliminating a Trump I priority of supporting prosecutors combing through mountains of electronic evidence, per resigning official. Digital data challenges have derailed key cases for DOJ.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
White House and DOJ leaders have completely abandoned a Trump 1st-term priority of confronting major challenges for department litigators drowning in rising electronic evidence, says the official overseeing this work in a scathing resignation note.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Ex-DOJ Official Says Trump Team Ditched Digital Litigation Focus
Justice Department leaders abandoned a Trump first-term priority of addressing litigation challenges for prosecutors overwhelmed by electronic evidence, said a DOJ official in a scathing farewell mess...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
White House and DOJ leaders have completely abandoned a Trump 1st-term priority of confronting major challenges for department litigators drowning in rising electronic evidence, says the official overseeing this work in a scathing resignation note.
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
My story: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
Veteran criminal chief demoted in EDVa. A retired EDNC guy is parachuted in. By @benjaminpenn.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Demotes Virginia Criminal Chief as It Mulls Comey Case (1)
The Justice Department demoted a veteran criminal chief in the Eastern Virginia office that’s weighing key decisions in dismissed cases against two of Trump’s perceived enemies, people familiar with t...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Veteran criminal chief demoted in EDVa. A retired EDNC guy is parachuted in. By @benjaminpenn.bsky.social
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
AG Bondi implements Trump policy by directing FBI to undergo massive collection of domestic terrorism intelligence focused on antifa, per internal memo obtained by @bloomberglaw.com:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Bondi Orders FBI Extremism Intelligence Review with Antifa Focus
Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the FBI to undergo an exhaustive analysis of domestic terrorism intelligence—focusing primarily on antifa—in a memo implementing Trump’s response to the Charlie Kir...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:25 AM
AG Bondi implements Trump policy by directing FBI to undergo massive collection of domestic terrorism intelligence focused on antifa, per internal memo obtained by @bloomberglaw.com:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Deputy AG Todd Blanche to white collar lawyers this morning: DOJ is monitoring your LinkedIn posts & client memos for inconsistencies when they complain of weak Trump enforcement, only to seek relief from prosecutor weaponization news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ No. 2 Knocks White-Collar Bar for Weaker Enforcement Claims
The Justice Department is taking notice of inconsistencies when white-collar defense lawyers complain on LinkedIn about softer Trump enforcement only to advocate for client relief, Deputy Attorney Gen...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Deputy AG Todd Blanche to white collar lawyers this morning: DOJ is monitoring your LinkedIn posts & client memos for inconsistencies when they complain of weak Trump enforcement, only to seek relief from prosecutor weaponization news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Scoop: FBI aims to escalate its inquiry into 6 Democrats who made video for troops by pressing domestic terrorism squad to launch a formal seditious conspiracy investigation. Washington Field Office leaders are pushing back b/c they don't see a crime. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
FBI Seeks ‘Seditious Conspiracy’ Probe of Democratic Lawmakers
The FBI is pressuring domestic terrorism agents to open a seditious conspiracy investigation into six Democratic lawmakers who advised military service members to defy unlawful orders, according to th...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Scoop: FBI aims to escalate its inquiry into 6 Democrats who made video for troops by pressing domestic terrorism squad to launch a formal seditious conspiracy investigation. Washington Field Office leaders are pushing back b/c they don't see a crime. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: DOJ demotes Lindsey Halligan's criminal chief as her office weighs new charges against Jim Comey, Tish James. Nearly two-decade EDVA veteran replaced by a North Carolina transplant. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Demotes Virginia Criminal Chief As It Mulls Comey Dismissal
The Justice Department demoted a veteran criminal chief in the Eastern Virginia office that’s weighing key decisions in dismissed cases against two of Trump’s perceived enemies, people familiar with t...
news.bloomberglaw.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:54 PM
News: DOJ demotes Lindsey Halligan's criminal chief as her office weighs new charges against Jim Comey, Tish James. Nearly two-decade EDVA veteran replaced by a North Carolina transplant. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Legal Adviser Says Halligan Can Still Be Called US Attorney
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has advised that Lindsey Halligan can continue to be referred to as the Eastern District of Virginia’s US attorney in court filings, according to an em...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:39 PM
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Reposted by Ben Penn
Halligan should be listed in the signature block used on all pleadings as “United States Attorny and Special United States Attorney,” according to the email, which misspells “Attorney.”
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Legal Adviser Says Halligan Can Still Be Called US Attorney
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has advised that Lindsey Halligan can continue to be referred to as the Eastern District of Virginia’s US attorney in court filings, according to an em...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Halligan should be listed in the signature block used on all pleadings as “United States Attorny and Special United States Attorney,” according to the email, which misspells “Attorney.”
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Legal Adviser Says Halligan Can Still Be Called US Attorney
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has advised that Lindsey Halligan can continue to be referred to as the Eastern District of Virginia’s US attorney in court filings, according to an em...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:39 PM
NEWS: DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has blessed the use of Lindsey Halligan's name as US Attorney on her prosecutors' court filings despite a judge ruling she was illegally appointed. They're advised to add DAG Todd Blanche to the signature block as well.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: DOJ has sent US attorneys scrambling to meet a Thanksgiving eve deadline to collect vast amounts of case data showing progress in meeting Trump directives, such as crackdowns on immigration and political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Demands Data Troves From US Attorneys on Trump’s Priorities
The Justice Department sent US attorneys scrambling this week to meet a pre-Thanksgiving deadline to collect troves of data demonstrating compliance with Trump-directed crackdowns on immigration, poli...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:42 PM
News: DOJ has sent US attorneys scrambling to meet a Thanksgiving eve deadline to collect vast amounts of case data showing progress in meeting Trump directives, such as crackdowns on immigration and political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
DOJ Defense of Top Prosecutors Tees Up Debate for Supreme Court
The Justice Department’s plans to appeal a ruling that an interim US attorney is unlawfully serving is likely to force the Supreme Court to weigh in on the Trump administration’s maneuvers to install ...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Lost in the huge Comey/James dismissals is Halligan has a new No. 2, an ex-prosecutor parachuting in from Ky., who'd be in line to refile the Trump retribution charges depending on outcome of appeal. Robert McBride has no EDVA experience. w/ Celine Castronuovo:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Motion denied. Case proceeds to summary judgment hearing Dec. 2.
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Voter Conspiracy Shadow (1)
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Motion denied. Case proceeds to summary judgment hearing Dec. 2.
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
Smartmatic statement: "The court made clear that Fox's attempts to delay accountability won't work, and its day of reckoning is coming."
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Voter Conspiracy Shadow (1)
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:37 PM
A hearing is getting under way in NY Supreme Court to consider Fox News' motion to postpone a ruling on Smartmatic's $2.7B defamation suit until DOJ's recent bribery indictment of voting machine co. is resolved.
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
ICYMI on the unusual Trump DOJ charges -
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
News: Voting machine co. Smartmatic to be arraigned today in 1st corporate foreign bribery indictment in 15 years.
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Smartmatic Bribery Case Can’t Escape Election Conspiracy Shadow
The Justice Department’s bribery indictment of voting machine company Smartmatic reflects a rare alignment of career prosecutors with conspiracy theorists in Trump’s base and the president’s biggest m...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
News: Voting machine co. Smartmatic to be arraigned today in 1st corporate foreign bribery indictment in 15 years.
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Comes after Miami US Atty shut down negotiations, bolstering Fox News in defense of Smartmatic defamation suit.
I explore the twists & turns:
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
2 Miami prosecutors (both Rs) quit - after being asked to join a unit targeting Trump foes - when MAGA US atty ordered them to sign statements under penalty of perjury naming who they’d talked to. That’s an unheard of interrogation tactic within DOJ. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...
Miami US Attorney Instills Fear as Trump Enemy Probes Ramp Up
Miami’s US attorney is alarming staff with unconventional interrogation tactics to oust prosecutors, while warning the office about dishonesty and disobedience as he staffs up investigations of the pr...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:41 PM
2 Miami prosecutors (both Rs) quit - after being asked to join a unit targeting Trump foes - when MAGA US atty ordered them to sign statements under penalty of perjury naming who they’d talked to. That’s an unheard of interrogation tactic within DOJ. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...