Deadline: White House "Glimmers of hope and reasons for alarm"
Feb 11, 2026
Mike Schmidt, New York Times investigative reporter; Andrew Weissmann, former top DOJ official turned legal analyst; J.P. Cooney, ex-Justice Department prosecutor running for Congress; Alyssa Slotkin, Michigan senator and former intelligence officer. They discuss a grand jury rejecting prosecutions of six lawmakers. Conversations cover prosecutorial norms, politicized DOJ actions, military refusals of illegal orders, and risks to rule of law.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Grand Jury Pushback On Politicized Charges
- Grand jurors rejected an attempted seditious-conspiracy indictment against six lawmakers, reflecting citizen pushback against politicized prosecutions.
- The decision signals erosion of trust in DOJ when prosecutions appear politically driven by the White House.
Let Grand Juries Guide Prosecutorial Restraint
- Heed the grand jurors' actions as a check on DOJ overreach and avoid repeating politically motivated prosecutions.
- Do not double down after public rebukes; rebuild credibility with transparent, evidence-based prosecutions.
Pattern Of Grand Jury No-Bills Signals Credibility Loss
- Multiple grand juries have refused to return indictments in high-profile politically tinged cases, showing a pattern.
- That pattern undermines DOJ credibility and reflects public skepticism about prosecutions tied to presidential direction.