Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee
WASHINGTON — A longtime federal prosecutor resigned Tuesday rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to take actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained by NBC News.
WASHINGTON — A longtime federal prosecutor resigned Tuesday rather than carry out what she described as orders from Trump-appointed officials to take actions unsupported by evidence, according to a copy of her resignation letter obtained by NBC News.
Denise Cheung, who had been at the Justice Department for over 24 years and was the head of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, wrote in her resignation letter to interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin that she had "always sought to offer sound and ethical counsel" to her bosses throughout multiple administrations, and that she had been asked to take investigative and law enforcement actions despite what she called the lack of "sufficient evidence."
Cheung wrote that she was asked on Monday to review documentation provided by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) — currently headed by acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove — “to open a criminal investigation into whether a contract had been unlawfully awarded by an executive agency” during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Her letter did not specify the grants at issue, but three sources told NBC News it had to do with environmental grants issued during the Biden administration.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said that "refusing a basic request to pause an investigation so officials can examine the potential waste of government funds is not an act of heroism — just a failure to follow chain of command."
Rating: 5