DOJ insiders shielded Clinton, targeted Trump in probes

Imagine a Justice Department where the scales of justice tilt depending on political affiliation—shocking, but not entirely far-fetched given recent revelations about key attorneys playing favorites.

Documents and emails unearthed by Sen. Chuck Grassley reveal a troubling pattern at the Department of Justice.

Officials who once blocked an investigation into the Clinton campaign’s questionable financial reporting are now deeply embedded in special counsel Jack Smith’s case against President Donald Trump.

Uncovering the Clinton Campaign’s Financial Disguise

Let’s rewind to 2016, when the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign funneled over $1 million through the law firm Perkins Coie to Fusion GPS.

This was the outfit behind the infamous Steele Dossier, a dossier that stirred endless controversy.

Those payments, curiously listed as “legal services” in Federal Election Commission filings, raised serious questions about transparency.

DOJ Guidance Stalls Clinton Investigation

By 2019, the FBI’s Washington Field Office had enough evidence to consider a probe into whether the DNC violated federal election laws by concealing the true purpose of these disbursements.

Yet, DOJ attorneys Richard Pilger and J.P. Cooney stepped in, advising against a criminal investigation.

Their interference effectively slammed the brakes on any accountability for the Clinton campaign.

From Clinton Protection to Trump Pursuit

Cooney, in a 2019 email, downplayed the issue, stating, “I think that we would have an exceedingly difficult time proving it was a willfully false report.”

Isn’t that convenient? The FEC later fined the Clinton campaign and DNC a combined $113,000 in 2022 for misreporting those very payments, proving the concerns weren’t baseless.

An FBI memo from the time noted, “Prior to obtaining an informal consultation from DOJ the writer believed it was reasonable to conclude that if the facts presented in the CLC complaint could be verified this matter met the evidentiary threshold for opening an investigation.”

Questions of Bias in DOJ Actions

Sen. Grassley, who released these records, didn’t hold back on the apparent double standard, highlighting whistleblower claims of DOJ interference in Clinton-related probes years ago.

Now, the same players—Cooney as a lead prosecutor and Pilger approving related efforts—are tied to Jack Smith’s aggressive pursuit of Trump in the Arctic Frost investigation.

Thanks to cooperation from Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel, Grassley’s push for transparency has brought these records to light, but can we trust a system where political loyalty seems to guide legal decisions?