Key facts
- Trump administration cases against individuals accused of attacking federal officers have been abandoned at an unusually high rate.
- 31% of completed cases involving attacks on federal officers ended in dismissal, compared to 8% of all federal criminal cases.
- Charges against former FBI Director James Comey were dismissed by a federal judge.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James had criminal charges dismissed by a federal judge.
- A federal grand jury refused to indict Letitia James on mortgage fraud allegations for a second time.
The Trump administration has seen several high-profile legal cases falter, with charges being dropped, dismissed, or blocked by judges and juries. This trend contrasts with the administration's efforts to remake Washington and its focus on law enforcement.
In one instance, the Justice Department dropped its case against former U.S. Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Prosecutors stated that evidence pointed to a flawed installation, not vandalism, as the cause of the pool liner peeling. Hearn pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers accused the administration of using the case for political cover regarding the project's mismanagement.
Christian Garcia was charged with assaulting a federal officer during immigration protests in Santa Ana, California, but federal prosecutors dropped the case in January without explanation. Separately, former Justice Department staffer Sean Dunn was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges after throwing a sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent.
A Reuters review of federal court records found that 31% of completed cases involving charges against individuals accused of attacking or impeding federal officers ended in dismissal, a significantly higher rate than the 8% of all federal criminal cases.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a critic of Trump, had criminal charges of lying on a mortgage application dismissed by a federal judge who found the U.S. attorney who brought the case was unlawfully appointed. A federal grand jury also refused to indict James on mortgage fraud allegations for a second time.
Former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017, also faced charges. The Justice Department charged him with false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation related to his 2020 testimony. A federal judge later dismissed these charges, citing the U.S. attorney's unlawful appointment. Subsequently, Comey was charged with threatening Trump by posting a photo with numbers that could be interpreted as a threat.