A new episode of the Insider podcast is now out. Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance discuss:
- Ghislaine Maxwell’s request that President Trump grant her clemency in exchange for testimony that could clear him and Bill Clinton from any wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network;
– Recent judicial opinions on ICE actions in Minnesota and Oregon;
– The mounting strain inside DOJ as the Department struggles to retain and recruit prosecutors, while the Trump administration aggressively focuses on immigration enforcement; and
– The Supreme Court’s ruling allowing California’s new congressional map to stand.
A NOTE FROM THE PRODUCER
Jake Kaplan is the Supervising Producer of the Stay Tuned with Preet and Insider podcasts.
How might justice, public safety, and the rule of law suffer as the Justice Department struggles to retain and recruit prosecutors?
On a new episode of the Insider podcast, Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance examine troubling signs of a staffing crisis at DOJ, as U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide are pushed to the brink by the Trump administration’s aggressive focus on immigration enforcement.
Preet highlights Minnesota, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has seen more than half of its prosecutors resign over the last year.
Preet: “I don’t even understand how they’re getting anything done. [It’s] not good for the district, not good for the state, not good for public safety, not good for justice, [and] not good for the reputation of the Department.”
Joyce emphasizes that the loss of experienced prosecutors comes at the worst possible moment, weakening internal safeguards just when they are most needed.
Joyce: “They need to have people in the office who will pump the brakes on activity that violates Justice Department norms. I know that it’s become popular to be dismissive of norms, but that’s still in large part how the U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country operate.”
They also reflect on what it means that so many prosecutors are leaving.
Preet: “[Being an] Assistant U.S. Attorney…is the career high for lots of people. It’s an incredibly difficult job to get in any district, and certainly in the large cities. It’s a point of pride. It’s the pinnacle of [many] people’s careers. And for that to have lost the luster and, in some ways, respect and prestige and honor that it used to have, if that is happening, it breaks my heart.”
Listen to the episode and, as always, comment below with your thoughts and questions.
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Stay Informed,
Jake
