Ranking Member Raskin Demands Answers from Five U.S. Attorneys Who Lied to Federal Judges and Defied Court Orders

Washington, D.C. (August 26, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, expanded the Committee’s investigation into misconduct by Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys before federal courts. Ranking Member Raskin is demanding records from five U.S. Attorney’s Offices—the District of Minnesota, the District of Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, the District of New Jersey and the Northern District of Illinois—after Attorney General Todd Blanche failed to answer the Committee’s initial inquiry into DOJ’s pattern of misleading judges and defying lawful court orders. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García also joined Ranking Member Raskin’s letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
“The Attorney General has failed to respond to this letter by the requested deadline. We certainly hope you will be more forthcoming with Congress about the appalling breakdown of prosecutorial standards and ethics taking place in your jurisdiction,” wrote the Members.

The new letters seek answers regarding significant prosecutorial misconduct at the five U.S. Attorney’s Offices that have been identified as routinely violating basic duties of candor and honesty to federal courts. Multiple federal judges in these districts have called out prosecutors in these offices for lying to or misleading judges and defying binding court orders, raising urgent questions about whether this misconduct reflects a Department-wide directive to prosecutors to say “fuck you” to judges.

The Committee is demanding an accounting from each office of every instance in which a judge found that one of its prosecutors lied, misled the court or failed to demonstrate sufficient candor, or failed to comply or ensure compliance with a court order. The Committee is also demanding internal communications showing concerns or objections by DOJ attorneys about representations made in court. Further, the Ranking Member is seeking communications with DOJ Main Justice concerning cases in which prosecutors were accused of misleading judges or evading court orders, including records showing whether senior DOJ officials in Washington directed, edited or approved representations made to federal courts.

The inquiry also seeks records concerning disciplinary or personnel actions involving attorney misconduct, including evidence of whether DOJ attorneys who questioned or refused potentially unlawful directives were punished or retaliated against. The letters direct each office to preserve relevant records, including communications on personal devices and encrypted applications.

Click here to read the letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.

Click here to read the letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.

Click here to read the letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Click here to read the letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Click here to read the letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, cosigned by Rep. Chuy García.

Click here to read the July 14 letter to Acting Attorney General Blanche.