Miami US Attorney Instills Fear as Trump Enemy Probes Ramp Up
Miami’s US attorney is alarming staff with unconventional interrogation tactics to oust prosecutors, while warning the office about dishonesty and disobedience as he staffs up investigations of the president’s perceived enemies, according to multiple people familiar with the situation.
South Florida’s chief prosecutor Jason Reding Quiñones and his leadership team effectively forced resignations of two newcomer assistant US attorneys last week by ordering them to sign statements under criminal penalty of perjury, some of the individuals said.
They both chose to quit rather than disclose in writing—with the threat of being indicted over misstatements—the names of colleagues and others with whom they’d discussed their recent assignment to a national security unit expected to target those involved in past cases against President Donald Trump.
Word of the sworn statement demand, which several Justice Department veterans called an unprecedented breach of internal protocols for handling possible employee misconduct, rapidly spread through the South Florida office, which has already experienced prosecutor terminations and numerous resignations this year.
More at https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/miami-us-attorney-instills-fear-as-trump-enemy-probes-ramp-up