Ben Penn

@benjaminpenn

Senior reporter, Department of Justice @BLaw | @UMWallaceHouse alum | [email protected]

Washington, DC

Joined October 2010

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Ben Penn Retweeted

Suzanne Monyak@SuzanneMonyak · Jun 25

New: An OLC opinion overturning decades of precedent would allow federal prosecutors to charge ppl with evading immigration authorities no matter where they’re arrested, sweeping in undocumented immigrants who entered years earlier. W/ @benjaminpenn news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/mo…

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Myles Miller@mylesmill · Jul 24

NEW: A federal prosecutor who helped convict Jan. 6 rioters is speaking out after being fired by the DOJ. He says the dismissal was sudden, without cause — and came days after a major fraud indictment. bloom.bg/44PCYnm w/@SuzanneMonyak

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Suzanne Monyak@SuzanneMonyak · Jul 15

No headwinds yet for DOJ official Emil Bove, Trump's controversial nominee for a seat on a federal appellate court. Sen. Thom Tillis told me today, "I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t support him. I intend to vote for him, today." w/ @HeadleyTiana news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ex…

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 14

News: AG Pam Bondi's order to dismiss charges against Utah plastic surgeon accused of selling fake Covid vaccine cards ran counter to an earlier decision from her weaponization working group. In April, the group rebuffed an appeal from doctor's lawyer: news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/do…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s abrupt order to drop charges against the Utah plastic surgeon accused of selling false Covid vaccination cards came months after Bondi’s weaponization working group...

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Tiana Headley@HeadleyTiana · Jul 14

The federal judges in the Northern District of New York have declined to appoint John Sarcone, President Donald Trump’s temporary US attorney pick, to permanently serve as their district’s top prosecutor. Via @jacq_thomsen news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ne…

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 14

UPDATE: DOJ Ethic director Tirrell posts his termination letter on LinkedIn. Says his oath “did not come with the caveat that I need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient.”

BBen Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 13

Scoop: Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired her personal ethics chief, Joseph Tirrell. Without explanation, she removes DOJ ethics office director who advised the most senior political appointees (Todd Blanche, Kash Patel, etc.) on conflicts. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/bo…

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 13

benjaminpenn's tweet card. Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired her personal ethics adviser, removing the Justice Department’s top official responsible for counseling the most senior political appointees, according to two...

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 12

Trial began last week for this plastic surgeon accused of destroying Covid vaccine and giving patients fraudulent vaccination cards. Dismissal, which is signed today solely by acting US Attorney in Utah, came at urging of Marjorie Taylor Greene, who Bondi has now thanked.

AAttorney General Pamela Bondi@AGPamBondi · Jul 12

At my direction @TheJusticeDept has dismissed charges against Dr. Kirk Moore. Dr. Moore gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so. He did not deserve the years in prison he was facing. It ends today.

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 10

NEW: DOJ whistleblower Reuveni discloses emails, texts that back up his complaint that Emil Bove instructed attorneys to prepare to say "fuck you" to court re: flying immigrants to Salvadoran prison. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/do…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. A Justice Department whistleblower has disclosed communications reinforcing his allegations that senior DOJ official and judicial nominee Emil Bove coordinated to defy court orders in various...

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 9

Just In: DOJ has installed Francey Hakes, a Trump supporting Fox News commentator, ex-fed prosecutor to run Executive Office for US Attorneys. This is a career role. Her predecessor was forced out. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/tr…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. The Justice Department has installed Francey Hakes, a Fox News commentator loyal to the Trump agenda, to lead a central support office for the nation’s US attorneys.

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Brendan Lyons@Brendan_LyonsTU · Jul 9

Sigh: Interim U.S. attorney orders Times Union removed from media distribution list after story about his boarded-up residence. timesunion.com/capitol/articl… via @TimesUnion

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 9

Update - the judge presiding over this case is begrudgingly allowing misdemeanor plea for PR governor, but signals she's pretty displeased w/ DOJ's "11th hour" reversal that provides "mere slap on the wrist" & "presumably" was ordered by Main Justice. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/di…

BBen Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 2

Scoop: After Trump's personal lawyer complained of weaponization, DOJ leadership ordered prosecutors to settle w/ ex-Puerto Rico governor (who endorsed Trump) & billionaire banker just before their bribery trial. They got misdemeanor plea deals. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ex…

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Jacqueline Thomsen@jacq_thomsen · Jul 3

New: Star conservative lawyer Paul Clement has moved to defend Maryland's federal trial judges from a Justice Department lawsuit, the latest instance of him facing off with the Trump administration in court news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/pa…

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jul 2

benjaminpenn's tweet card. Justice Department leadership ordered prosecutors about to start a major bribery trial to reach a more lenient deal with Puerto Rico’s former governor, who had endorsed President Donald Trump, and a...

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jun 28

Last night Attorney General Pam Bondi ramped up targeting of civil service, firing three career prosecutors who played senior roles coordinating Jan. 6 criminal cases. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/at…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. The Trump administration terminated at least three attorneys Friday who led prosecutions into Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendants, three people familiar with the moves said.

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Kimberly Robinson@KimberlyRobinsn · Jun 27

Justice Barrett has the ruling for a 6-3 court in birthright citizenship case. #SCOTUS says universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority of federal courts.

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jun 27

An era of DOJ internal oversight ends today: Longtime Inspector General Michael Horowitz departs amid a growing pile of complaints to investigate Bondi, Patel, Bove, & more. The timing of his move to the Fed is triggering deep concerns under Trump. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ve…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. The departure of the Justice Department’s longtime inspector general next week has former officials and other lawyers worried that an era of robust, independent oversight of law enforcement is ending...

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Ben Penn@benjaminpenn · Jun 26

NEW: The Justice Department is losing its counterintelligence chief at a critical time when it comes to threats from Iran, China, etc., as Trump administration's national security brain drain continues. w/ @JustinFWise news.bloomberglaw.com/white-collar-a…

benjaminpenn's tweet card. A senior counterintelligence official is leaving the Justice Department in the latest departure by a high-ranking national security attorney in the early months of the Trump administration.

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Ryan Autullo@RyanAutullo · Jun 12

Aaron Reitz launches Texas AG campaign, a day after he stepped down as head of DOJ's policy office. Long expected. He began sending out feelers in April. In 2020, he finished fifth in #txlege House primary. Since: key jobs under Trump, Cruz & Paxton. news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/ex-…

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