Powerful to see career DOJ folks refusing to compromise their ethical obligations despite enormous pressure. The founding of Justice Connection feels particularly timly given how institutional trust erodes when enforcement becomes politicized. The grand jury statistics are staggering proof of how quickly credibility can collapse. Reminds me of similar dynamics I've observed in other insitutions where independence gets compromised.
DOJ is of course “mission critical” to our democracy. We can no longer assume that an oath to the Constitution supersedes loyalty to a president, especially one who is a racist convicted felon. We will return DOJ to its actual mission, but we must provide a path for the return of people loyal to that mission despite current attempts to upend the Department.
NV Sec of State and others concerned about election subversion see below
What A Day: FBI Just Wants to Chat About the Midterms
The FBI just reached out to all 50 states about the midterms… without saying why.
MATT BERG
________________________________________
MIDTERM MANIA
Trump’s FBI summoned state election officials from across the country for an unusual briefing on “preparations” for the midterms, What A Day has learned. At least one top state official is deeply concerned.
• The FBI is organizing a mysterious conference call in late February for local election officials from all 50 states to discuss plans for the midterm elections with federal law enforcement agencies, according to an email obtained by What A Day. The exact purpose of the call remains unclear. But it’s raising concerns after President Donald Trump called for state elections to be nationalized.
• Election officials from every state received an invitation for the call on Feb. 25th, to be joined by Trump’s FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The email, which was obtained via public records request, was sent on Tuesday by an official named Kellie Hardiman, who gave her title as “FBI Election Executive.”
• Hardiman wrote that the FBI and other federal agencies “would like to invite you to a call where we can discuss our preparations for the cycle, as well as updates and resources we can provide to you and your staff.” She added: “We look forward to speaking with you in support of the 2026 midterm elections.”
• I asked the FBI for an explanation, but a spokesperson wouldn’t give me one, writing: “Thank you for reaching out. The FBI has no comment.”
• The email is raising anxiety at a moment when Trump is calling for the federal government to take control of elections in 15 states, and dispatching the FBI to investigate the 2020 election in battleground state Georgia.
Nevada’s top election official called the email bizarre — and said he suspects it’s all about intimidation.
• Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar told What A Day he’s never heard of a conference call like this being organized by the FBI between state officials and federal agencies. After he received the email, he wrote back to Hardiman an hour later: “Is this real? Given what’s occurred over the last two weeks I am concerned.”
• “I was just like, ‘what is this?’ It’s the strangest thing in the world that the FBI is reaching out to us and trying to coordinate election security,” Aguilar told me on a phone call this afternoon. “It’s never happened in the past. The casualness which they did… it was just beyond crazy.” He added: “They’re just sowing this confusion and chaos to try to intimidate us into compliance.”
• While DOJ does monitor elections during normal times, the email and conference call are unusual, a former DOJ official from the department’s civil division told What A Day. “I can’t imagine why it would be coordinated in that way,” the former official said.
• The FBI recently raided an election hub in Georgia, dispatching spy chief Tulsi Gabbard to tag along, supposedly on the evidence-free theory that there may have been some kind of foreign meddling by China. Intelligence officials reportedly investigated voting machines in Puerto Rico last year, too. MAGA Godfather Steve Bannon is calling for ICE agents to “surround the polls” during the midterm elections in November.
• States are taking these threats extremely seriously. Nevada officials are “constantly preparing and strategizing” for whatever Trump’s team may attempt, Aguilar said. That includes monitoring statements from people like Bannon, even though the former Trump advisor has no formal power.
• “It’s unconstitutional for the president to do what he wants to do,” Aguilar said. “We understand that what he’s trying to do is really disrupt the midterm election, because the ‘26 election is critical to the ‘28 election.”
Nevada is gearing up for a legal fight — if it needs to have one. “We have to prepare for that litigation at a moment’s notice, and we will be prepared in Nevada to push back,” Aguilar said.
Justice Connection. Thank goodness not everyone in the field of law is trumpian bent. Obviously I can not speak for other than myself, but the lack of public trust in federal government at all levels is disgusting... and it appears nobody in the would-be-king's government seems to care. Do not these people realize and understand there is an end coming. Maybe really showing it in the coming mid-term but definitely in 2028. Do they not understand they, in there idiotic follow the leader daily lives, are nearing the very end? And what happens then? When they go searching for gainful employment? Or are they all lining their pockets so at the end they can retire to Arizona... or Mexico. Forgive me for being just a simple US voter waiting and working for the end.
Powerful to see career DOJ folks refusing to compromise their ethical obligations despite enormous pressure. The founding of Justice Connection feels particularly timly given how institutional trust erodes when enforcement becomes politicized. The grand jury statistics are staggering proof of how quickly credibility can collapse. Reminds me of similar dynamics I've observed in other insitutions where independence gets compromised.
Thank you all for your ongoing work for justice. There is no compassionate work that does not include accountability, and work for justice.
DOJ is of course “mission critical” to our democracy. We can no longer assume that an oath to the Constitution supersedes loyalty to a president, especially one who is a racist convicted felon. We will return DOJ to its actual mission, but we must provide a path for the return of people loyal to that mission despite current attempts to upend the Department.
NV Sec of State and others concerned about election subversion see below
What A Day: FBI Just Wants to Chat About the Midterms
The FBI just reached out to all 50 states about the midterms… without saying why.
MATT BERG
________________________________________
MIDTERM MANIA
Trump’s FBI summoned state election officials from across the country for an unusual briefing on “preparations” for the midterms, What A Day has learned. At least one top state official is deeply concerned.
• The FBI is organizing a mysterious conference call in late February for local election officials from all 50 states to discuss plans for the midterm elections with federal law enforcement agencies, according to an email obtained by What A Day. The exact purpose of the call remains unclear. But it’s raising concerns after President Donald Trump called for state elections to be nationalized.
• Election officials from every state received an invitation for the call on Feb. 25th, to be joined by Trump’s FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The email, which was obtained via public records request, was sent on Tuesday by an official named Kellie Hardiman, who gave her title as “FBI Election Executive.”
• Hardiman wrote that the FBI and other federal agencies “would like to invite you to a call where we can discuss our preparations for the cycle, as well as updates and resources we can provide to you and your staff.” She added: “We look forward to speaking with you in support of the 2026 midterm elections.”
• I asked the FBI for an explanation, but a spokesperson wouldn’t give me one, writing: “Thank you for reaching out. The FBI has no comment.”
• The email is raising anxiety at a moment when Trump is calling for the federal government to take control of elections in 15 states, and dispatching the FBI to investigate the 2020 election in battleground state Georgia.
Nevada’s top election official called the email bizarre — and said he suspects it’s all about intimidation.
• Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar told What A Day he’s never heard of a conference call like this being organized by the FBI between state officials and federal agencies. After he received the email, he wrote back to Hardiman an hour later: “Is this real? Given what’s occurred over the last two weeks I am concerned.”
• “I was just like, ‘what is this?’ It’s the strangest thing in the world that the FBI is reaching out to us and trying to coordinate election security,” Aguilar told me on a phone call this afternoon. “It’s never happened in the past. The casualness which they did… it was just beyond crazy.” He added: “They’re just sowing this confusion and chaos to try to intimidate us into compliance.”
• While DOJ does monitor elections during normal times, the email and conference call are unusual, a former DOJ official from the department’s civil division told What A Day. “I can’t imagine why it would be coordinated in that way,” the former official said.
• The FBI recently raided an election hub in Georgia, dispatching spy chief Tulsi Gabbard to tag along, supposedly on the evidence-free theory that there may have been some kind of foreign meddling by China. Intelligence officials reportedly investigated voting machines in Puerto Rico last year, too. MAGA Godfather Steve Bannon is calling for ICE agents to “surround the polls” during the midterm elections in November.
• States are taking these threats extremely seriously. Nevada officials are “constantly preparing and strategizing” for whatever Trump’s team may attempt, Aguilar said. That includes monitoring statements from people like Bannon, even though the former Trump advisor has no formal power.
• “It’s unconstitutional for the president to do what he wants to do,” Aguilar said. “We understand that what he’s trying to do is really disrupt the midterm election, because the ‘26 election is critical to the ‘28 election.”
Nevada is gearing up for a legal fight — if it needs to have one. “We have to prepare for that litigation at a moment’s notice, and we will be prepared in Nevada to push back,” Aguilar said.
________________________________________
________________________________________
Justice Connection. Thank goodness not everyone in the field of law is trumpian bent. Obviously I can not speak for other than myself, but the lack of public trust in federal government at all levels is disgusting... and it appears nobody in the would-be-king's government seems to care. Do not these people realize and understand there is an end coming. Maybe really showing it in the coming mid-term but definitely in 2028. Do they not understand they, in there idiotic follow the leader daily lives, are nearing the very end? And what happens then? When they go searching for gainful employment? Or are they all lining their pockets so at the end they can retire to Arizona... or Mexico. Forgive me for being just a simple US voter waiting and working for the end.
Plural of Attorney General is Attorneys General, not Attorney Generals.
Appreciation and gratitude for