Key facts
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta requested the DOJ investigate Donald Trump's lawyers.
- The request cites alleged false and misleading statements made to courts.
- A lawyer for Governor Newsom suggested the DOJ investigate President Trump and his allies.
- The lawyer noted DOJ policy prohibits investigating a sitting president but not their associates.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has formally requested that the Department of Justice investigate the legal team representing Donald Trump. The request stems from allegations that Trump's lawyers engaged in a "pattern of conduct" that included making "false and misleading statements" to various courts. In a separate but related development, a lawyer for Governor Gavin Newsom suggested that the DOJ's resources would be better spent investigating President Trump and his associates, framing the current investigations as politically motivated retribution. The lawyer acknowledged that DOJ policy prohibits investigating a sitting president but argued it does not preclude looking into allegations of corruption involving Trump's family members and associates.