president Donald Trump I tapped a career government lawyer who worked behind the scenes for years to eradicate federal law enforcement fraud. Department of Justice Next internal watchdog.
On Friday, the White House appointed Don R. Berthiaume and served as the department’s representative inspector. It oversees internal investigations into fraud, waste and abuse in the departments, including the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons and their constituent agencies.
Berthiaume is acting as a surveillance during a period of uprising with the Department of Justice. Prosecutors, agents and other employees are enduring Waves of firing and resignation Purges people suspected of being dishonest towards the president as part of the Republican administration. Several departments have also been dropped Famous criminal caseincluding the indictment of the mayor of New York. Eric Adamsand Trump Over 1,500 people have been forgiven He was indicted and found guilty January 6th, 2021, the Houses of Parliamentthe most extensive research in the history of the department.
Last month, concerns grew that Trump armed the Justice Department to pursue an investigation into his perceived enemy following the indictment of a former FBI director James Comey.
The appointment of Birchame, which comes into effect at the end of the month, includes his firing of more than 12 IGs amid Trump’s overturning the federal government. His fourth day In the office. Some of those previous watchdogs have been submitted Federal lawsuits They said their dismissal violated the law, seeking recovery. The case is pending.
Berthiaume, 51, worked as an attorney for the Department of Justice’s Inspector’s Office for 10 years until 2020. Federal investigation A relationship that is said to have been linked with Russia Trump’s 2016 presidential election.
The last inspector confirmed in the Senate was Michael Horowitz, former boss of Berthiame and one of the few inspectors who were not. fired by Trump. In June, Horowitz was appointed to head the Federal Reserve Commission’s Office of Inspectors.
This was created by the council Watergate scandalinspectors act as the primary line of defense within the agency to stop waste, fraud and abuse of power. Their findings often lead to policy changes. Their investigators can also be at the forefront of crime research.
The inspectors are presidential appointees, but some serve the presidents of both major political parties. Federal law requires that you be hired “only on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability, regardless of political affiliation.”
“It’s a very important task, but Trump’s shootings created a threatening environment that IG has never seen before,” said Michael Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspector who played a role from 1994 to 1999.
Given the recent confusion, Justice Department employees were able to view the Attorney General’s office as “hostile territory.”
“Responsible monitoring of DOJ actions has become more important than ever before,” Young said.
Department inspectors handle some of Washington’s most explosive and politically sensitive inquiries.
For example, Horowitz released a report in 2019 FBI failures Regarding Crossfire Hurricane’s surveillance warrant application, we investigate whether the 2016 Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to interfere in the election. IG found the investigation to be open for legitimate purposes and found no evidence that partisan bias led to the investigative decision.
Special Advisor Robert Mueller Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election by attacking hacks and secret social media, determining that the Trump campaign is expected to accept help and benefit from its Democratic candidates. Hillary Clinton. However, Mueller found no evidence that Trump’s campaign was “conspired or coordinated” with Moscow to influence the election.
Berthiaume played a role in the Crossfire Hurricane Inspector Review and helped prepare a 2013 report on dysfunction and deep partisan division within the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit. His other studies at the Inspector’s Office included exposing the inappropriate employment of relatives and friends by former senior US S-Service leaders and investigating a failed investigation into a U.S. firearm trafficker suspected of selling hand-rena bullets. Mexican cartelaccording to his LinkedIn page.
Since 2023, Berthiaume has Housing and Urban Development Bureauhe oversees lawyers investigating housing fraud and runs the agency’s whistleblower protection program.
Before joining HUD, Berthiaume spent three years Drug Enforcement Bureaumanages the relationship between the drug distributor and the Department of Justice. He began his legal career prosecuting bank and credit card fraud cases at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
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Goodman reported from New York’s Mastian, Miami.
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