Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III Makes Statement on Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

"Two years ago, the Acting Attorney General asked me to serve as Special Counsel, and he created the Special Counsel’s Office.

The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.  This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.

I have not spoken publicly during our investigation.  I am speaking today because our investigation is complete. The Attorney General has made the report on our investigation largely public.  And we are formally closing the Special Counsel’s Office.  As well, I am resigning from the Department of Justice and returning to private life.

I’ll make a few remarks about the results of our work.  But beyond these few remarks, it is important that the office’s written work speak for itself..."
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller

Justice Department Announces Release of New Fentanyl Safety Video for First Responders

"Today, the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released the Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders’ companion training video Fentanyl: The Real Deal. The video was produced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help first responders protect themselves when the presence of fentanyl is suspected or encountered on the job. The video is available here(link is external). 

Fentanyl: The Real Deal provides recommendations to law enforcement on how to navigate safely around the increased prevalence of fentanyl in the illicit drug market. The video provides first responders with unified, scientific, and evidence-based recommendations for protective actions first responders should take when the presence of fentanyl is suspected, when exposure occurs, and when individuals exhibit signs of opioid intoxication.

"Exposure to synthetic opioids like fentanyl is one of the most dangerous threats facing law enforcement officers," Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein said. "The Department of Justice worked with the White House, other Cabinet agencies, and many law enforcement organizations to produce a new safety video and training recommendations for first responders. I urge law enforcement officers to review the advice and take precautions to stay safe."

“We have a duty to protect those who keep our communities safe,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “As we continue to fight this opioid epidemic, it is critical that we provide every tool necessary to educate the public, law enforcement, and first responders about the dangers of fentanyl. This video is a positive step in that direction.”

The new training video released today, as well as the Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders released in November 2017, is the result of a Federal Interagency Working Group coordinated by the White House National Security Council. Agencies represented on the working group include the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security; the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; the Office of National Drug Control Policy; the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in collaboration with 24 stakeholder organizations..."
Fentanyl

Justice Department Announces Initiative to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing

"The Justice Department today announced a new initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing.  The initiative specifically seeks to increase the Department’s efforts to protect women from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners.  As part of the initiative, the Department will work to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment to the Department and other enforcement agencies, and will collaborate with local law enforcement, legal services providers, and public housing authorities to leverage their expertise. 

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability.  Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under this law.  The Civil Rights Division plans to launch a pilot of the initiative in two jurisdictions -- Washington, D.C., and western Virginia -- where it is working with legal service providers and local law enforcement to raise awareness about this issue.  The Department hopes to expand the effort to other areas of the country in the near future..."

Sexual discrimination and housing

Arrest Data Analysis Tool

"This dynamic data analysis tool allows you to generate tables and figures of arrest data from 1980 onward. You can view national arrest estimates, customized either by age and sex or by age group and race, for many offenses. This tool also enables you to view data on local arrests.

Select National Estimates or Agency-Level Counts from the menu above. Use the Annual Tables to view tables of arrest data broken down by sex, race, age, or juvenile and adult age groups. Select Trend Tables by Sex or Trend Tables by Race to create customized tables of long-term trends. In National Estimates, you can also view figures of long-term trends by sex or by race and age-arrest curves for many offenses.

The underlying data are from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. BJS has expanded on the FBI's estimates to provide national arrest estimates detailed by offense, sex, age, and race. The Methodology tab describes estimation procedures and the limitations of the arrest data. The Terms & Definitions tab explains the meaning or use of terms, including the FBI's offense definitions. You can download output to Excel format.

This User's Guide provides everything you need to get started..."

Arrest Analysis tool

Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes

"The National Center for Disaster Fraud reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions.

Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov(link sends e-mail), and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.

The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 30 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud..."
Fraudulent charitable contributions

Department of Justice Issues Statement on Testimony of Former FBI Director James Comey

"In response to testimony given today by former FBI Director James Comey, Department of Justice Spokesman Ian Prior issued the following statement:

• Shortly after being sworn in, Attorney General Sessions began consulting with career Department of Justice ethics officials to determine whether he should recuse himself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States.

Those discussions were centered upon 28 CFR 45.2, which provides that a Department of Justice attorney should not participate in investigations that may involve entities or individuals with whom the attorney has a political or personal relationship. That regulation goes on to define “political relationship” as:

“[A] close identification with an elected official, a candidate (whether or not successful) for elective, public office, a political party, or a campaign organization, arising from service as a principal adviser thereto or a principal official thereof ***”..."
Department of Justice statement on Former FBI Director James Comay

Pursuant to Executive Order on Public Safety, Department of Justice Releases Data on Incarcerated Aliens

"

President Trump’s Executive Order on Public Safety in the Interior of the United States requires the Department of Justice to collect relevant data and provide quarterly reports on data collection efforts. The data in this release shows a significant prison population of incarcerated aliens.

“Illegal aliens who commit additional crimes in the United States are a threat to public safety and a burden on our criminal justice system,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “This is why we must secure our borders through a wall and effective law enforcement, and we must strengthen cooperation between federal, state and local governments as we strive to fulfill our sacred duty of protecting and serving the American people.”

Below is a summary of data collected under Section 16 of the Order, which directs “the Secretary [of Homeland Security] and the Attorney General . . . to collect relevant data and provide quarterly reports” regarding the following subjects: (a) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated under the supervision of the Bureau of Prisons; (b) the immigration status of all aliens incarcerated as federal pretrial detainees; and (c) the immigration status of all convicted aliens in state prisons and local detention centers throughout the United States..."

Incarcerated Aliens

Justice Department Outlines Plan to Enable Nationwide Collection of Use of Force Data

"Today, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced several steps by the Department of Justice to enable the nationwide collection of data on law enforcement interactions with civilians, including data related to the use of force by law enforcement officers. 

“Accurate and comprehensive data on the use of force by law enforcement is essential to an informed and productive discussion about community-police relations,” said Attorney General Lynch.  “The initiatives we are announcing today are vital efforts toward increasing transparency and building trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve.  In the days ahead, the Department of Justice will continue to work alongside our local, state, tribal and federal partners to ensure that we put in place a system to collect data that is comprehensive, useful and responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.”   

The President’s Task Force on 21^st Century Policing called on law enforcement to “collect, maintain and report data . . .  on all officer involved shootings, whether fatal or nonfatal, as well as any in-custody death,” and the department is committed to heeding this call..."
Law Enforcement Force data

Countering Violent Extremism Task Force Fact Sheet

"Since the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) last February, the U.S. government has focused on strengthening our effort to prevent extremists from radicalizing and mobilizing recruits, especially here at home.  Advancing this effort means working as effectively as possible across the U.S. government, which is why we are forming the CVE Task Force. 

“The federal government’s top priority is protecting the American people from all forms of violent extremism,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch.  “By bringing together agencies from across the Executive Branch, this innovative task force will allow us to more efficiently and effectively support local efforts to counter violent extremism.  The Department of Justice looks forward to joining the Department of Homeland Security in leading this new initiative, which represents an important step in our ongoing work to keep our communities safe and our country strong.”..."
Violent Extremism

Guidance on Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

"Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced today a new guidance from the Justice Department designed to help law enforcement agencies prevent gender bias in their response to sexual assault and domestic violence, highlighting the need for clear policies, robust training and responsive accountability systems.

“Gender bias, whether explicit or implicit, can severely undermine law enforcement’s ability to protect survivors of sexual and domestic violence and hold offenders accountable,” said Attorney General Lynch.  “This guidance – developed in collaboration with law enforcement leaders and advocates from across the country – is designed to help state, local, and tribal authorities more fairly and effectively address allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault.  In the days and months ahead, the Department of Justice will continue to work with our law enforcement partners nationwide to ensure that they have the tools and resources they need to prevent, investigate, and prosecute these horrendous crimes.”

Today’s guidance – which reflects input from a wide array of stakeholders, including police leaders, victim advocates and civil rights advocates – aims to enhance the Justice Department’s partnership with law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to protect their communities, advance bias-free policing and uphold the civil rights of the people they serve.  The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the Civil Rights Division and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) collaborated to produce the guidance...."
Identifying & preventing gender bias

It’s More Complex than You Think:A Chief’s Guide to DNA
"The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) are pleased to issue this law enforcement executives’ guide to the use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations.

Every day, DNA evidence becomes more useful, not only in the identification and prosecution of criminal offenders, but also in ruling out innocent persons and in some cases exonerating persons who have been falsely convicted. Once a tool used mainly in cases of homicide, sexual assault, and other violent crimes, DNA increasingly is being used in the investigation of property crimes as well.

Furthermore, scientists continue to make advances in the technology of DNA testing, allowing useful information to be produced even in cases where DNA samples from crime scenes are extremely small or degraded.

However, the rapid expansion in the use of forensic DNA has come at a price: large backlogs of evidence wait to be tested in many jurisdictions.

This book is a practical guide that aims to help police chiefs and other law enforcement executives manage their DNA testing needs and capabilities, as they look forward to ever-increasing demand for DNA evidence in coming years. With support from the COPS Office, PERF
gathered information for this book by interviewing police chiefs, crime lab directors, and other experts in this field; conducting site visits to DNA labs; surveying law enforcement agencies; and holding an Executive Session in September 2009 to discuss the challenges facing police
executives regarding DNA evidence..."

Justice Department Issues Guidance Letter to State Courts Regarding Their Obligation to Provide Language Access
"The Justice Department today issued a letter to chief justices and administrators of state courts clarifying the obligation of courts that receive federal financial assistance to provide oral interpretation, written translation and other language services to people who are limited English proficient (LEP). This month marks the 10th anniversary of Executive Order 13166 which requires federal agencies to ensure that recipients of federal financial assistance comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by providing meaningful access to LEP persons.

Today’s letter provides state courts guidance regarding the requirement to provide meaningful access to their programs and services for LEP persons through the provision of language services, pursuant to the prohibition against national origin discrimination contained in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act (Safe Streets Act), and their implementing regulations. The letter includes an overview of applicable civil rights laws, Supreme Court precedent, guidance and illustrative examples of situations that would warrant the provision of language services..."

WHETHER THE TEN-YEAR MINIMUM SENTENCE IN 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(B)(i) APPLIES TO SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPONS
"MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIMINAL DIVISION
You have asked whether possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon in furtherance of a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime is conduct that remains subject to a mandatory ten-year minimum sentence. Having carefully considered the views of the Criminal Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), we conclude that semiautomatic assault weapons are no longer among the firearms to which the ten-year minimum sentence in section 924(c)(1)(B)(i) of title 18 applies. The 1994 amendment that increased the penalties for use of such firearms in section 924(c)(1) is subject to a sunset provision, and thus was repealed as of 2004. Accordingly, the possession of a semiautomatic assault weapon in furtherance of, or the use during and in relation to, a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime is subject to the general five-year mandatory minimum sentence provided for in section 924(c)(1)(A), with increased penalties for the brandishment or discharge of such weapon..."

Justice Department and FBI Announce Formal Conclusion of Investigation into 2001 Anthrax Attacks
"The Justice Department, FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service today announced that the investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks, which killed five individuals and sickened 17 others, has formally concluded.

Earlier today, representatives of the FBI and Justice Department provided a 92-page investigative summary along with attachments to victims of the attacks, relatives of the victims and appropriate committees of Congress. This document sets forth a summary of the evidence developed in the "Amerithrax" investigation, the largest investigation into a bio-weapons attack in U.S. history. As disclosed previously, the Amerithrax investigation found that the late Dr. Bruce Ivins acted alone in planning and executing these attacks.

The investigative summary and the attachments are now accessible to the public and have been posted to the Justice Department Web site at www.usdoj.gov/amerithrax under the Freedom of Information Act. In addition, roughly 2,700 pages of FBI documents related to the Amerithrax case are now accessible to the public and have been posted to the FBI website at http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/amerithrax.htm under the Freedom of Information Act..."

Department Issues FOIA Annual Report in More Accessible Format as Part of the President’s Initiative on Transparency and Open Government
"As part of President Obama’s initiative on Transparency and Open Government, the Department of Justice is setting a transparency precedent for the rest of government by releasing on its Web site, the Department of Justice’s Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Report in a more publicly accessible format.

At the same time, the department is releasing, in this machine-readable format, 19 other agency annual FOIA reports from a sampling of other federal agencies, making a total release of 20 distinct data sets. As a result of the new format, members of the public, including public interest organizations, scholars, and the media, will be able to more easily track FOIA performance.

The department announced today’s initiative in response to the Open Government Directive issued by the White House yesterday.

The Directive directs all federal agencies to make their annual FOIA reports available in this machine-readable format starting with Fiscal Year 2009. The department in turn will make all of the machine-readable reports available in one location on the department’s Web site (www.justice.gov) as well on the Data.gov Web site..."

Justice Department Submits Views on Proposed Google Book Search Settlement
"The Department of Justice today advised the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that while it should not accept the class action settlement in The Authors Guild Inc. et al. v. Google Inc. as proposed due to concerns of the United States regarding class action, copyright and antitrust law, the parties should be encouraged to continue their productive discussions to address those concerns. In its statement of interest filed with the court, the Department stated:

"Given the parties’ express commitment to ongoing discussions to address concerns already raised and the possibility that such discussions could lead to a settlement agreement that could legally be approved by the Court, the public interest would best be served by direction from the Court encouraging the continuation of those discussions between the parties and, if the Court so chooses, by some direction as to those aspects of the Proposed Settlement that need to be improved. Because a properly structured settlement agreement in this case offers the potential for important societal benefits, the United States does not want the opportunity or momentum to be lost."

In its filing, the Department proposed that the parties consider a number of changes to the agreement that may help address the United States’ concerns, including imposing limitations on the most open-ended provisions for future licensing, eliminating potential conflicts among class members, providing additional protections for unknown rights holders, addressing the concerns of foreign authors and publishers, eliminating the joint-pricing mechanisms among publishers and authors, and, whatever the settlement’s ultimate scope, providing some mechanism by which Google’s competitors can gain comparable access.

The settlement agreement between Google and the authors and publishers aims to resolve copyright infringement claims brought against Google by the Authors Guild and five major publishers in 2005 raised by Google’s efforts to digitally scan books contained in several libraries and make them searchable on the Internet. The District Court’s hearing on the proposed settlement is scheduled to take place on October 7, 2009."

Detention Policy Task Force Issues Preliminary Report
"The Department of Justice and Department of Defense today announced that the Detention Policy Task Force, which was created pursuant to Executive Order 13493, has issued a preliminary report on military commissions and a process for the determination of prosecution forum for trials of suspected terrorists. A copy of the report is attached. As authorized by the Executive Order, the Attorney General and Secretary of Defense have also decided to extend by six months the period in which the Task Force will conduct its work and submit a final report.

The Attorney General and Secretary of Defense serve as Co-Chairs of the Detention Policy Task Force and have been represented on the Task Force by their designees. Other Task Force participants include designees of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the Executive Order, the Task Force’s mission is "to conduct a comprehensive review of the lawful options available to the Federal Government with respect to the apprehension, detention, trial, transfer, release, or other disposition of individuals captured or apprehended in connection with armed conflicts and counterterrorism operations, and to identify such options as are consistent with the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice." The Executive Order directs the Detention Policy Task Force to provide a report to the President within 180 days of the date of the Order, (by July 21, 2009), "unless the Co-Chairs determine that an extension is necessary.".."

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PROGRAM SUCCEEDS IN REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME
"The Department of Justice today announced research findings showing that the Project Safe Neighborhoods program (PSN) has been successful in reducing violent crime. An evaluation of the nation-wide program found a statistically significant decline in violent crime in cities where PSN existed or where the program — which targets gun crime, in particular — is vigorously implemented.

“These findings are important information for everyone working to keep our communities safe,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Laurie Robinson. “The evidence of success with the PSN framework underscores the importance of continuing to develop crime and violence reduction approaches centered on cooperation and coordination.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun and gang crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. The program focuses on hiring new federal and state prosecutors, supporting investigators, providing training, distributing gun lock safety kits, deterring juvenile gun crime, and promoting community outreach efforts as well as supporting other gun and gang violence reduction strategies. The enhanced use of crime analysis and tactical intelligence supports the program’s core strategies of targeted enforcement and deterrence. Additional program information is available

2009 Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
"The Office of Information Policy is planning to publish the 2009 edition of the Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act through the Government Printing Office (GPO) in June.

The 2009 Guide will contain detailed discussions of the FOIA’s exemptions, as well as its procedural requirements, and FOIA litigation considerations. The 2009 Guide will also discuss proactive disclosures, FOIA fees and fee waivers, exclusions, discretionary disclosures and waiver, FOIA attorney fees, and reverse FOIA cases..."

President Obama’s FOIA Memorandum and Attorney General Holder’s FOIA Guidelines Creating a "New Era of Open Government"
"Agencies were directed to respond to requests "promptly and in a spirit of cooperation." The President also called on agencies to "adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure" and to apply that presumption "to all decisions involving [the] FOIA." This presumption of disclosure includes taking "affirmative steps to make information public," and utilizing "modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government."

The President directed the Attorney General to issue FOIA Guidelines for the heads of executive departments and agencies "reaffirming the commitment to accountability and transparency." On March 19, 2009, during Sunshine Week, Attorney General Eric Holder issued those Guidelines. The Attorney General highlighted that the FOIA "reflects our nation’s fundamental commitment to open government" and that his Guidelines are "meant to underscore that commitment and to ensure that it is realized in practice."..."