To the editor: Gov. Gavin Newsom and millions of other Americans have reason for alarm about authoritarian President Trump trying to destroy whoever crosses him (“Newsom says DOJ conducting baseless investigation of him and his wife at Trump’s direction,” June 15). This is another example, among so many others, of Trump weaponizing and corrupting the Department of Justice in having it force evidence for criminal prosecution of his detractors.
With his typical unfounded falsehoods and pathological projection, Trump accused Joe Biden of weaponizing the DOJ while Biden was president. That was total baloney. In fact, Biden steered clear of interference with Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland and the DOJ. Garland himself was overly cautious, avoiding the appearance of politically motivated criminal investigations.
When a special prosecutor — highly regarded career prosecutor Jack Smith — was appointed by Garland, Smith pursued a thorough investigation before finally bringing charges against Trump for a number of serious crimes. Those criminal charges could have been vindicated in actual trials if Trump had not quashed all pending cases upon returning to the White House.
Now it is Trump who is actually pursuing vindictive prosecutions, directing his unfit and disreputable appointees in the DOJ to go after Trump’s supposed enemies. It’s Trump, not Biden, who has repeatedly breached the wall of norms and independence between our DOJ and the president.
It’s Trump, not Biden, who has so corrupted the DOJ that numerous long-time federal prosecutors and others have resigned rather than pursue baseless and vindictive criminal investigations Trump demanded. It’s Trump who has trashed our rule of law.
T.R. Jahns, Hemet
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To the editor: With news that Trump’s minions are now going after Newsom, along with illegitimate attacks on other opponents including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James, the so-called Department of Justice should just go ahead and rename itself the Trump Department of Injustice.
Mike Greene, Oceanside
