The Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has ramped up efforts to investigate and prosecute people President Donald Trump has identified as adversaries, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, in an analysis that found more than four dozen individuals have been in the president’s crosshairs since he returned to office for a second term.
While most of the threats Trump has made on social media and in public comments have not led to prosecutions, the Journal reported that some have translated into criminal cases or investigations. So far, those efforts have resulted in almost no convictions, according to the newspaper.
Blanche, who succeeded Pam Bondi after Trump removed her as attorney general in April, has overseen a new indictment of former FBI Director James Comey. As MSI reported previously, Comey was indicted again in April over a photograph that officials described as a threat. The Justice Department has also launched a probe related to a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s.
The case of Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, is expected to result in a conviction as part of a plea deal, the Journal reported.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the newspaper’s framing was inaccurate. “The entire premise of this article is laughable — the mainstream media turned a blind eye when Joe Biden weaponized his Department of Justice against his political opponents,” Jackson said in a statement.