Staff Reports
Judicial Watch has once again emerged victorious in its unyielding quest for transparency, as a federal court has ruled that the Department of Justice can no longer play hide-and-seek with vital communications involving the former Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis regarding their prosecution attempts against President Donald Trump. It’s a win for accountability and a reminder that the scales of justice should ideally be balanced, despite the current administration’s propensity for obfuscation.
This latest courtroom drama unfolded after the DOJ stubbornly resisted requests for information, even after the legal tsunami known as the Trump prosecutions went flat. Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, donning the robes of common sense, dismissed the DOJ’s excuses from the get-go. With the Trump-related cases officially closed, the court deemed the DOJ’s pleas for nondisclosure as irrelevant. It might be time for the DOJ to rethink its game plan, as Judge Friedrich pointed out that the “Glomar doctrine,” which was invoked to justify silence, simply no longer held water.
The order mandated the DOJ to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Judicial Watch, insisting they either cough up the documents or prove they fall under exemption criteria no longer applicable. One can’t help but marvel at the irony—a federal court needing to persuade the DOJ to release information. It’s almost like needing to convince a cat to come inside when it’s raining. The DOJ’s earlier assertions that disclosing information could “interfere with enforcement proceedings” have now been rendered as futile as shouting at the wind.
Judicial Watch launched this legal pursuit after the DOJ’s refusal to even acknowledge the existence of requested records. They initially asked for documents related to any federal funds or assistance Willis may have solicited regarding her dubious investigation of Trump and his allies. The DOJ’s categorical refusal to provide clarity may very well have become the courtroom equivalent of trying to use a squirt gun to fight fire—ineffective and mildly comedic.
DOJ Ordered to Turn Over Fani Willis Files
https://t.co/cNEhIRaUFk— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 9, 2025
Moreover, the pressure is now on the DOJ to meet with Judicial Watch and report back to the court before February 21, 2025. It’s a small win for transparency-loving Americans frustrated by the ongoing machinations of those who stew in power. Judicial Watch’s president has expressed quite frankly that the entire situation reeks of scandal. The notion that judicial intervention was necessary to extract basic truths about communication between government officials is baffling, if not downright embarrassing.
Over in Fulton County, the saga of Fani Willis continues to unfold. After being handed a penalty for violating Georgia’s Open Records Act, the district attorney was ordered to pay Judicial Watch over $21,500 in attorney’s fees. Her previous attempts to withhold information have landed her in a precarious spot, impacting her credibility and reputation. As the echoes of her courtroom reprimanding ring forth—reminding her that “Non-compliance has consequences”—the question remains: how many more dollars will be exchanged in the wake of this scandal before accountability becomes the norm instead of the exception?
