A federal judge tore into federal prosecutors on Wednesday over the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office’s bizarre handling of the arrest of Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this month. The judge also reminded prosecutors that the goals of the DOJ’s work should not involve efforts to “advance political agendas.”
The statements from U.S. Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa during the Wednesday hearing marks one of the first times a federal judge has bluntly addressed the inappropriate actions of some of the characters President Trump has installed as heads of U.S. Attorney’s Offices since returning to the White House. It also touched on a broader issue: With Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s help, Trump has taken a sledgehammer to even the appearance of DOJ independence from the White House.
During the Wednesday hearing, Espinosa announced that he would dismiss the trespassing charges against Baraka related to his arrest earlier this month during a protest, part of an attempted oversight visit at a facility where ICE was detaining migrants. Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba — Trump’s former lawyer and spokesperson whom he appointed to serve in the position in an acting capacity — announced Baraka’s arrest earlier this month in a post on Twitter after a scuffle broke out outside the facility. The decision by another Trump DOJ official to target more elected Democrats sparked widespread outcry. Baraka has maintained since the start that the arrest was politically motivated.
After Baraka — who is also running for governor of New Jersey — posted videos this week that showed him being allowed inside the gates of the facility by officials at the detention center, Habba announced that she was dropping the charges against the Democratic mayor. But in the same statement she also announced new charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), who was part of the oversight visit with Baraka.
In announcing the dismissal of charges against Baraka, Judge Andre Espinosa called the decision to arrest and then drop charges against an elected official “embarrassing.”
“The hasty arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, followed swiftly by the dismissal of these trespassing charges a mere 13 days later, suggests a worrying misstep by your office,” Espinosa said, according to the New Jersey Globe. “An arrest, particularly of a public figure, is not a preliminary investigative tool. It is a severe action, carrying significant reputational and personal consequences, and it should only be undertaken after a thorough, dispassionate evaluation of credible evidence.”
More color from inside the hearing room, per the Globe:
The judge directed his comments to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Demanovich — the judge said Demanovich had acted appropriately throughout the case, but as the representative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was responsible for hearing the message.
Federal magistrate judge Andre Espinosa said he found out about the dismissal through reports in the media, rather than from prosecutors themselves. The judge said that while there will be no trial, he believed Baraka deserved the chance to defend himself against the accusations.
“Federal prosecutors serve a single paramount client: justice itself,” Espinosa said. “Your role is not to secure convictions at all costs, nor to satisfy public clamor, nor to advance political agendas. Your allegiance is to the impartial application of the law, to the pursuit of truth, and to the upholding of due process for all.”
Trump Owns His ‘Devastating’ Cuts At USAID
Well, not exactly.
After ambushing the president of South Africa with what he claimed was evidence of a genocide against white farmers in South Africa (he mostly held up a stack of printed out news articles about things that are happening in other places) President Trump acknowledged that his administration’s massive cuts to foreign aid might be having a severe impact in countries throughout the continent of Africa.
“It’s devastating, and hopefully a lot of people are going to start spending a lot of money,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“I’ve talked to other nations. We want them to chip in and spend money too, and we’ve spent a lot. And it’s a big – it’s a tremendous problem going on in many countries. A lot of problems going on. The United States always gets the request for money. Nobody else helps.”
GOP’s Reconciliation Bill Could Mean Medicare Cuts Too
Trump and House Republicans’ reconciliation package, officially titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is projected to add so much to the nation’s debt that it could trigger hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicare beginning in 2026, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office.
CBO is projecting that the massive bill would add $2.3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.
When legislation significantly adds to the national debt, it triggers sequestration — a budget procedure imposed by lawmakers to cancel or limit funding in order to meet budget goals.
With CBO’s projection of $2.3 trillion added to the deficit over a decade, the report explains budget officials will have to apply spending cuts over that time frame that would include Medicare.
The CBO estimates that there would be about $490 billion in cuts to the social safety net program between 2027 and 2034.
— Emine Yücel
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What We Are Reading
A Jan. 6 rioter convicted of assaulting police scored a visit to the White House
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to keep DOGE records secret
Trump ambushes South Africa’s president with video footage in Oval Office
Borowitz – South African President’s Approval Rating Expected to Soar After Trump Acts Like a Dick
Oh, come on. Trump acts like a dick all day every day. Is anybdy actually noticing any more?
Plus, to be fair, it’s not “acting.”
C’mon, Ramaphosa should get some credit for enduring that with a modicum of equanimity.
"It’s devastating, and hopefully a lot of people are going to start spending a lot of money,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“I’ve talked to other nations. We want them to chip in and spend money too, and we’ve spent a lot. And it’s a big – it’s a tremendous problem going on in many countries. A lot of problems going on. The United States always gets the request for money. Nobody else helps.”
… … … … …
Once again tump spews words that make no sense.
For those of you who are parents, you know that if you keep telling your child not to do something and then offer no consequences, they will continue to do the same shit over and over again. Cause, why not?
Making a point about Trump and judges here.
The Trump regime is a bad-faith-based organization.