John,

In the last few weeks, we have seen the Department of Justice bow to a pressure campaign from President Trump to weaponize its law enforcement capabilities against the president’s perceived enemies—while letting his allies off the hook. This is exactly what we have been warning about for more than a year, and it’s a blaring red alarm for our democracy.

As a former federal prosecutor, it is extremely alarming to me to see the Justice Department being abused in this way. Let me break it down:

Two weeks ago, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on charges of lying to Congress and obstruction. The problem is, he was only charged after Trump publicly called for his prosecution, and after one Trump-appointed prosecutor declined to bring charges, citing a lack of evidence.

When that prosecutor resigned (or was fired, depending on who you believe), he was replaced by a loyalist who previously represented Trump in one of his criminal cases. The new prosecutor then indicted Comey for allegedly lying to a Senate committee in 2020 about whether he authorized a leak of classified information to the media.

Trump openly cheered Comey's indictment, underscoring the political nature of the case.

Trump's intervention in forcing the criminal prosecution of Comey—who he views as a political opponent—could not be more concerning.

We must demand a justice system that applies the law without prejudice. In a democracy, loyalty or opposition shouldn't decide who gets prosecuted. But right now, that’s the path we’re going down.

Consider Tom Homan, Trump’s current border czar, who we recently learned allegedly accepted $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents. In his case, when Trump entered office, the DOJ shut down the investigation.

We must speak up and call this what it is: unacceptable and antidemocratic.

Thank you,

Noah Bookbinder
President
CREW