Three senior Justice Department officials violated internal rules and engaged in “misconduct” by leaking details of a private investigation to the media “days before the election,” the Justice Department's inspector general said Monday.
The Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG), directed by Michael Horowitz since 2012, filed a complaint alleging that “politically motivated” disclosures related to “information regarding ongoing matters” were made in its preparation. An investigation began after receiving the complaint. To an unspecified election.
“The OIG investigation found that three then-senior Justice Department officials leaked nonpublic Justice Department investigative information about ongoing DOJ investigations to some reporters in the days before the election, violating DOJ confidentiality. We were found to have violated our media contact policy, resulting in the publication of two news articles: Department of Justice non-public investigative information,” the Department of Justice OIG said in a prepared statement. Survey overview.
“The OIG investigation found that one of three then-senior Justice Department officials violated the Department's confidentiality and media communications policies by reposting links to news articles through the Department's social media accounts. “We also found that the social media policy was violated,” the summary continued.
The OIG said the three officials were no longer Justice Department employees at the time the investigation began and did not have the authority to compel former employees to testify, but they either declined or did not respond to requests for interviews.
“The OIG completed its investigation and submitted a report to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. The report contained findings of misconduct against the attorney and was reported to the Professional Misconduct Review Unit for appropriate action. Horowitz's office said, adding: A report was also submitted to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate possible violations of the Hatch Act.
It is unclear what kind of investigation details the former Justice Department official is suspected of leaking to the media.
Senator Chuck Grassley in September wrote a letter The letter, addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, was also forwarded to Horowitz, who accused him of “leaking materials and information to the media” related to the ultimately concluded investigation into President-elect Donald Trump. He blamed the department and the FBI.
The closed investigation concerned allegations that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi was a “confidential informant” who tried to boost President Trump's 2016 presidential campaign with $10 million in cash.
The investigation was initially led by former special counsel Robert Mueller's team, but was closed in June 2020 due to a “lack of sufficient evidence.” Washington Post reported In August 2024.
In its report, the outlet cited “people familiar with the case” and “thousands of pages of government records, including sealed court filings.”
Grassley (R-Iowa) fired another letter A letter to Mr. Garland, Mr. Wray, Mr. Horowitz, and Special Counsel Jack Smith to ensure that all records related to Mr. Smith's investigation into Trump are preserved after the November 2024 election.
In his letter, the senator also cited the “Department of Justice's destruction of past federal records related to Mueller's Trump investigation and the destruction of Smith's investigation of at least one FBI special agent who worked on aspects of Mueller's investigation.” He pointed out that it was necessary to make such a request, considering that he had appointed him, and that he would do so. Most likely, he had access to the information or was tipped off to it,” he said in a leak to the Washington Post about the Egypt Trump investigation.
Trump, 78, has long accused Smith, the prosecutor tasked with leading the classified documents against Trump and the 2020 election interference investigation, of leaking details of the investigation to the media “like a sieve.” I've done it.
In June 2023, while campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Smith “illegally leaked” an audio recording that appeared to be of him discussing classified documents related to Iran at a golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to social media. There was outrage in the media.
A transcript of the redacted recording was included in Smith's indictment against Trump in the classified documents case, which was dismissed by a federal judge in July.
President Trump's first term was marked by leaks about the FBI's investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign during and after the 2016 election. That led to a scathing report by Mr. Horowitz and two separate investigations into the office's conduct by Mr. Mueller and special counsel John Durham.
The OIG has referred former FBI Director James Comey to his own indictment for leaking internal memos to the media. NBC News reported However, the Justice Department chose not to press charges.
A separate Justice Department corruption investigation into Sen. Bob Menendez was also leaked months before the Garden State Democrat's indictment in September 2023 and ahead of his decision to announce he would run as an independent for re-election. However, the project was later halted due to a conviction on bribery charges in the case. year.
A Department of Justice OIG representative declined to comment.
