Donald Trump is facing growing condemnation from former prosecutors, legal scholars, and ex-Justice Department (DoJ) officials over what they describe as a political campaign to prosecute his adversaries. The former president’s alleged interference in ongoing investigations and pressure on prosecutors to bring weak cases against his critics, including James Comey and Letitia James, has raised alarms about the erosion of the rule of law in the United States. Experts warn that these moves may ultimately collapse in court, but not before inflicting lasting damage on the Justice Department’s integrity.
Trump’s Pressure on the DOJ
Donald Trump’s persistent pressure on the Department of Justice to charge political opponents with crimes has alarmed legal experts. Scholars say these efforts, based on questionable evidence, violate long-standing DoJ policies designed to ensure impartial justice. Critics argue that Trump’s tactics undermine the department’s credibility and could lead to the dismissal of key cases.
Controversial Charges Filed
Former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James are at the center of the controversy. Comey faces charges of lying to Congress and obstruction, while James is accused of bank fraud and false statements. Both have pleaded not guilty. Legal experts have called the evidence “paltry” and politically motivated. Lindsey Halligan, a former White House lawyer with limited prosecutorial experience, filed the charges after Trump installed her in a top federal position by removing a veteran prosecutor who had rejected the cases as weak.
Legal Community Pushback
Over 100 former DoJ officials filed an amicus brief supporting Comey, arguing his prosecution is “vindictive.” James Pearce, an ex-DoJ lawyer, said the justice department’s policies “seek to ensure fair and impartial prosecutions, which the constitution’s due process clause requires.” Several advocacy groups, including Protect Democracy Project and Democracy Defenders Fund, also filed briefs in Comey’s defense, emphasizing the constitutional dangers of politically driven prosecutions.
Calls for Investigation
The Democracy Defenders Fund sent a letter to the DoJ inspector general, urging an investigation into Halligan’s appointment and the charges against Comey and James. The letter was signed by ethics advisers to former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. “After Watergate, no precept was more central to the re-professionalization of the justice department than distancing the White House from decision making about individual prosecutions,” said Peter Shane, a constitutional law professor at NYU. He added that the visible political involvement in these prosecutions could see them “dismissed before trial.”
Trump’s Revenge Campaign
Legal experts say Trump has “weaponized” the Justice Department to target individuals he blames for his political and legal troubles, including former officials tied to his impeachment. “The overt and explicit ‘weaponization’ of the justice department… is the worst type of corruption of the rule of law,” said Philip Lacovara, former counsel to the Watergate special prosecutor. Trump has openly called for prosecutions of opponents like Comey, Letitia James, and Democratic senator Adam Schiff, even pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi on Truth Social to act swiftly.
Rise of Ed Martin
A central figure in these prosecutions is Ed Martin, a lawyer with strong MAGA ties who previously promoted false election fraud claims. Martin leads a “weaponization working group” inside the DoJ, tasked with investigating supposed political bias under Democratic administrations. Critics say Martin’s true purpose is targeting Trump’s perceived enemies. “His chief value to the administration is to go after people Trump has identified as enemies by any means or tactics he can find,” said Mike Gordon, a former senior DoJ prosecutor.
Outrage Over Political Interference
Democrats in Congress have condemned Trump’s manipulation of the DoJ. Representative Jamie Raskin compared Trump’s behavior to Nixon’s political revenge tactics, but “in broad daylight.” Michael Bromwich, ex-DoJ inspector general, warned that “the flimsy cases being brought against people whom Trump considers his enemies will fail, but the damage to the system of criminal justice will endure.” Many believe that the department’s integrity, once the backbone of American democracy, now faces its gravest test in decades.