Philadelphia DA Referenced for Possible Unlawful Actions

A judge has referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, supported by billionaire George Soros, along with Assistant DA Matthew Stiegler, to the Department of Justice for an investigation into potential unlawful activities.

Soros, back in 2017, aimed to lower the U.S. prison population by funding candidates who promised to end cash bail for minor offenses, reduce prosecutions for drug possession, and promote treatment over incarceration. Krasner, a former civil rights and defense attorney, campaigned on a promise to significantly reduce incarceration rates.

In a memorandum released on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond disqualified Krasner and Stiegler from a specific criminal case and referred them to the DOJ.

The issues in question relate to a murder case that dates back more than a decade, involving Dennis Johnson, who received a life sentence in 2010 for the murder of Kenyatta Smith.

In 2022, the District Attorney’s Office acknowledged, through a concession signed by Assistant DA Jaclyn Mason, that Johnson deserved a reassessment of his conviction due to ineffective legal representation, as stated in court documents.

However, in June 2026, the District Attorney’s Office sought to retract this concession, claiming “material misstatements.” Judge Diamond pointed out that Mason lacked experience in criminal law, having primarily worked in patent and trademark areas, yet Stiegler assigned her to handle Johnson’s habeas relief case.

“When he made the assignment, Stiegler had already decided—at the suggestion of the Defender and the Innocence Project—that the DAO would concede the grant of habeas relief,” Diamond noted. “Because Stiegler had already decided to concede relief in Johnson, Mason saw no need to review the record. Rather, she simply carried out Stiegler’s instructions.”

Judge Diamond further stated that Stiegler chose Mason, an inexperienced lawyer, likely under the assumption she would be less inclined to challenge his directives. The memorandum elaborated that both Stiegler and Krasner allegedly attempted to place blame on Mason for the faulty concession while pressuring other prosecutors in the office who raised concerns.

“It appears that in attempting to impede the Court’s hearing and inquiry into the DAO’s conduct in Johnson, Mr. Krasner, aided by Stiegler, put the Law Division supervisors in an impossible situation that might jeopardize them professionally and may have violated the law,” Diamond wrote.

“Mr. Krasner and Stiegler have thus created a basis for their disqualification from Johnson and their referral to the Department of Justice,” he added.

In response, Krasner firmly rejected the court’s conclusions in a statement, expressing disagreement and stating, “I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows.”