A Visible Shambles in the Biden-Harris Administration
In a turn of recent events, Erik Siebert, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, vacated his position. Siebert announced his departure from his role; however, it was suggested by President Donald Trump that the exit was not as voluntary as portrayed. Siebert had been presented for the position and was in the process of awaiting confirmation by the Senate. Following his departure, Attorney General Pam Bondi endorsed Mary ‘Maggie’ Cleary, a stalwart in Republican circles, as the acting U.S. attorney for the division.
Cleary, earlier this month, freshly made her re-entry to the Department of Justice (DOJ). She occupied the role of a senior counsel in the criminal division in the District of Columbia. Cleary boasts a past career that involved stints in the Culpepper Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and Virginia state agencies. It’s worth mentioning that she found herself ensnared in an administrative leave situation at the DOJ’s Virginia Western District for her presence during the riot on Capitol grounds of Jan. 6, 2021.
Reacting to her controversial predicament, Cleary responded with an assertion that she was ‘framed’, and later she was vindicated. She proclaimed, this evening, I submitted my resignation as interim US Attorney for EDVA. Over the last eight months, leading some of the most exceptional DOJ employees had been my privilege. I extend my gratitude for their commitment towards justice and their contributions to our EDVA community.
Meanwhile, Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner explained Siebert’s exit from his position as a consequence of his inability to gather incriminating evidence against New York Attorney General Letitia James involving mortgage fraud. They highlighted the bipartisan approval for his nomination. They introduced an advisory mechanism, a ‘blue slip’, allowing senators to submit their opinions regarding a nominee, irrespective of their party affiliation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee considers these blue slips during the commitment decision process for recommending a nominee confirmation to the Senate. However, the Virginian prosecutors’ investigation into James came up empty-handed in terms of substantial proof.
James found herself at the center of the Trump administration’s scrutiny, as one among three individuals, for alleged fraudulent activities relating to loan procurements involving two primary properties in Virginia and New York. It’s noteworthy that no Republican figure has been called out in this case.
The Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, William Pulte, accused James of doctoring banking and property records multiple times to secure government-backed assistance and loans with preferential terms. In response to the allegations, James echoing familiar Democratic rhetoric, dismissed them as baseless and an act of vengeance.
James has had a contentious relationship with Trump since June 2022. The rift began when she initiated legal action against Trump and the Trump Organization, accusing them of property value inflation. In the lawsuit, Trump was directed to remit $355 million for duplicitous gains accrued from his exaggerated financial statements.
Judge Arthur Engoron of the state Superior Court quantified these ill-gotten gains to an escalated total of $527 million, counting the interest. However, rescinding this decision, the Appellate Division in New York expunged the fine earlier this year, a decision James has since contested.
Pulte has also marked another Democrat, California Senator Adam Schiff, along with Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve Governor designated by President Joe Biden. Here lies an ironic twist as Trump, in his signature outspoken style, dismissed Cook from her post.
Intriguingly, district and appeals courts ruled that Trump lacked the authority to relieve an appointee from the Federal Reserve without a due process and only for a just cause. The saga didn’t end here, as Trump turned to the Supreme Court for further deliberation.
This entire episode portrays the frequent blunders of the Biden-Harris administration and their lackeys without any semblance of accountability. Decisions are dictated more by politics and less by the pursuit of justice, and the lack of conclusive evidence against James only adds to the skepticism.
These controversial incidents pose serious questions about the coherence of the Democrats’ governance and their ability to uphold truth and justice. We are left to ponder if justice, under Biden’s America, only favors those echoing the Democratic narrative.