We previously discussed the controversy surrounding Rachael Rollins, the former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts nominated by President Biden who was implicated in alleged criminal and unethical conduct. The case presented a glaring contrast to how the Justice Department treats its own officials accused of crimes in comparison to less favored individuals. Now, Rollins has been stripped of her bar license based on the same conduct.
Rollins was a figure lionized by the media and many Democrats in Congress. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) heralded Rollins as the ideal U.S. Attorney. Despite her position in Massachusetts, Los Angeles Times’ editorial board dedicated a long editorial to proclaiming Rollins as
“among President Biden’s smartest appointments, and if her nomination is finally approved in the Senate she would become the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, handling cases involving national security, white-collar crime, public corruption, cybercrime, gang violence and civil rights violations. Biden’s nomination of Rollins, while hardly radical, represents a threat to the Republican narrative about Democrats and crime, as do Boston’s enviable crime stats … The point is that when GOP senators claim that Rollins’ policies increase crime, they’re just making things up to justify blocking one of the nation’s most successful criminal justice leaders.”
Rollins later resigned from office after investigators uncovered evidence that she had lied to them, a federal crime commonly charged against others.
The OIG released detailed findings against Rollins for allegedly seeking to influence a Suffolk County, Mass., district attorney election last year. She also was accused by the OIG of lying under oath during an investigation into the matter. The report states that “on December 16, 2022, pursuant to the Inspector General Act, 5 U.S.C. § 404(d), the OIG referred the false statements allegation to the Department for a prosecutive decision. On January 6, 2023, the Department informed the OIG that it declined prosecution.”
According to the OIG, Rollins sought to help Boston City Councilman Ricardo Arroyo in the Democratic primary for Suffolk’s district attorney by providing derogatory information to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald regarding his opponent, then-interim D.A. Kevin Hayden. The OIG said the information included “non-public, sensitive” DOJ material that Rollins acquired as a result of her federal position. The material suggested that Hayden was being investigated for public corruption.
The OIG further found that Rollins leaked more material after Arroyo lost to Hayden.
The OIG accused Rollins of violating a host of Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, including Section 2635.702 (the use “of public office for private gain”) and Section 2635.703 (the use “of nonpublic information”).
The most serious charge was that Rollins “falsely testified under oath … when she denied” providing the non-public information to the Herald reporter.
The investigation also found an array of other violations, including disregarding ethical warnings on political activities and soliciting expensive sports tickets.
What is most striking about the OIG report is that Rollins took some of these steps after barely being confirmed by the U.S. Senate because questions were raised over her judgment and partisanship. Rollins was confirmed in 2021 after Vice President Kamala Harris cast a tie-breaking vote due to all 50 Republican senators opposing her nomination. Every Democratic senator voted for her despite the concerns, including a video from January 2021 in which she threatened the arrest of reporters.
The DOJ’s declination of charges follows a similar pattern that suggests a higher threshold standard applied by prosecutors in charging one of their own.
Conversely, this is the same department that pursued figures like Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn for false or misleading comments made to agents about a meeting with Russian diplomats. The media heralded that case, and legal experts clamored for prosecution.
With Rollins, after an investigation found that she lied to investigators, the DOJ refused to file any charges at all. It is unclear what the DOJ felt was lacking in those findings or the underlying evidence. However, as shown by prior declinations — in cases like the contempt referral against former Attorney General Eric Holder, or the determination that former FBI Director James Comey removed FBI material and, through a friend, leaked it to the media — the Justice Department often seems to find insurmountable problems when asked to charge a fellow prosecutor or investigator
The Rollins case showed a sense of total license to ignore criminal and ethical rules. She even was accused of giving Arroyo advice on how to handle the sexual assault allegations brought against him during his campaign and also provided media outlets with “negative information” about his challenger, Kevin Hayden. She was overtly political and used her office to advance favored candidates.
If the past is any indication, most of the media would not delve too deeply into such contradictions if Trump is charged. And selective prosecution complaints are notoriously difficult to litigate. Even if the Justice Department did not secure a favorable judge for such a case, most judges are leery of adjudicating claims of motivation and bias.
With the recent pass given President Joe Biden on his serial violation of mishandling classified material, the Rollins case reinforces the view of many that the Justice Department continues to apply our laws in strikingly different ways for similarly situated defendants. Ironically, the sense of license displayed by Rollins proved correct. When it comes to favored individuals, the blindfolds appear off at Justice.
Fani Willis’ conduct was improper so she must…fire the man. Another chapter in my book, Life in Doublestandardstan.
Trump had total legal power, Biden had none.
The current excuse is Biden is now near brain dead so his former crimes don’t count, as if he has been brain dead since he became a senator decades ago. He’s brain dead now so he has never committed a crime in his entire life. What an excuse. It’s amazing.
The United States of Corruption.
____________________________________
“It’s time to stop talkin’ and start chalkin’!”
– Chick Hearn, Lakers Sportscaster
Anonymous, as a pool player I love the Chick Hearn saying.
The Rollins matter is much more severe that you presented in this article. She was NOT disbarred in MA. Her license was merely suspended for failure to pay the annual renewal fee of $300. Now, she landed a $96k/yr job in the private sector for a non-legal position. The MA’s Bar Association has yet to consider Rollins case, if at all. Practically, Rollins can wait a few years, pay the accumulated renewal fees for the time of her suspension, and practice law again in MA! Additionally, she can practice law in any other State if she decided to move, just like a doctor convicted for malpractice in one State, moves to another & continues his/her practice. It follows that a crooked DoJ’s lawyer got away with a slap of her hand, while this (in)justice office continues to viciously prosecute Trump for less serious alleged misconducts! See https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/03/12/rachael-rollins-suspended-from-practicing-law-in-massachusetts/
Apparently Fani gets to stay–for now.
https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1768625643351105678
It looks as if the judge tried to satisfy everyone in a decision that will ultimately satisfy no one.
The county prosecutor’s office continues while looking corrupt, dishonest and incompetent and it stains the legal habitat of the entire county.
I suspect the judge failed to look to the horizon, couldn’t get a view above the rubbish, and missed a glittering opportunity. If he had a backbone he would have become a federal judge or held a high position in the Trump administration or won an important position in state government. Now he looks clever, basically honest and cowardly. Who can trust him in an office where moral courage is essential? I suppose he could be trusted to bring coffee and donuts to his betters. I bet he will regret his decision by next week.
A civil rights activist judge is challenging McAfee in his upcoming election. He wanted to keep his job. He didn’t want to lose his job. That was more important to him, than proving that there ISN’T a two tiered justice system.
Basically McAfee tried to drive a too wide truck through a too narrow alley.
Now we will see how many pieces were ripped off and what, if anything, actually comes out the other end.
He took control of a mess and left a bigger mess. He will be wearing that steering wheel around his neck for a long time…maybe forever.
Makes a promising cartoon though.
@seanmdav
The judge in the Fani Willis case is such a spineless wet noodle that I’m surprised Republicans haven’t made him Speaker of the House yet.
Amen
How does that prove there is not a two tiered system ?
He was being challenged by a democrat. If he did not remove a corrupt democrat who was prosecuting a Republican for activities SHE engaged in he might get to keep his job.
That is STILL Two Tiered
We are on our own. There is no room to doubt. This cowardly judge McAfear, caved completely. Trying to please everyone, he destroyed in the eyes for all to see that our courts mean nothing. It is a free for all. Fani is a filthy Pig and so is her play toy. So is McAfear.
Judge McAfee is a Republican. I like what he did. He left the prosecution with a taint, that can not be erased. I would be surprised if this was not overturned on appeal, but I like Fani! I bet she heaves Willis over the side of the boat, and stays on the case, and Trump could not hope for a more stupid and flawed prosecutor.
I beleive McAfee is a democrat – but he was appointed by a Republican – Kemp, and now must stand for election.
This is common place.
However I will aggree with you that this is politically good for Trump.
The case is radically weakened, and Trump has even more evidence that the system is corrupt.
Democrats do not seem to grasp they not only need to get the outcome they want.
They need to beleive it was acheived fairly and honestly. If that is not the case they increase Trump’s appeal rather than decrease it.
Floyd said: “Trump could not hope for a more stupid and flawed prosecutor.”
And if a judge of the same caliber presides over Trump’s trial, her lack of intelligence and ability may not be any detriment at all to a conviction.
And he will probably lose his election anyway. At least he could have gone out honestly.
We live in a third world country. Period
Just like Obama promised.
Alank,
And us normal people see the exact banana republic Democrats have brought us down to.
The others, they just wallow in their own $hit and think it is glorious!
The rot in our country is spelled Democrat
“Every Democratic senator voted for her despite the concerns, including a video from January 2021 in which she threatened the arrest of reporters.”
***
Unfortunately this no longer surprises me.
I have come to think that all Democrats are crooks and that the Democratic Party is primarily a criminal enterprise. And that’s my kindly and generous assessment of them.
Young,
Agreed.
What has become only mildly shocking now, is how many of our leftist friends try to spin it away, resort to “whataboutism,” or think this is perfectly fine.
Upstate,
True. I have relatives like that who either refuse to understand clear facts, resort to “whataboutism” or go silent.
Their attacks on President Trump are typically nothing but expletives. When I ask for specifics I get silence. When I list the things he has done and ask which of them they don’t like I get silence. But they always have a bin full of expletives which are supreme arguments in the Fourth Grade.
Young,
Same here.
Tried to engage with a friend about Trump. In the end, after she could not come up with anything reasonable, logical it ended up, “I just hate him!”
Another friend was complaining about what Trump said! But anything about Biden, Biden gaffes, Biden policies, nothing.
The “I just hate him” mentality says more about the speaker’s lack of character than anything else. Throwing invectives is easy. Rationalizing them is much much harder for them.
@Young: Re: “I have come to think that all Democrats are crooks ….” I see it as a manifestation of the consequences of those who have supported, and brought into play, a new, contemporary view of the belief that ‘all complexions are equal except some complexions are more equal than others’, where perpetrators of ethical and moral turpitude are expected to be brought to the bar and judged.
ZZdoc. You have a point. They are racist to the core and now appear to be antisemitic.
I would suggest reading Nobel Economist James Buchannon on Public Choice Theory.
Every single aspect of human nature and economic behavior that works to make us better off in a free market works towards corruption in the government sphere.
A trivial example – when you go to the store who gets the good parking spaces ? Who has to park “out back” ?
Customers get the good parking spaced and employees – even managers get the rest.
When you go to the county courthouse – the good parking spaces are reserved for judges and then court employees, it is the “customers” who must park in the crappy far away spaces – if there are spaces for them at all.
This is a small example but the point is EVERYTHING in government is about those in power – even those with tiny bits of power.
The people – the customers and owners of govenrment come LAST in everything.
While Democrats today are more corrupt that republicans.
Or more accurately – they can today get away with more egregious corruption than republicans.
Government inherently incentivizes corruption.
John Say said: “EVERYTHING in government is about those in power”
Correct. The Founders tried to account for that in the Constitution with the limits on the powers of the Federal govenment, but they obviously did not go nearly far enough. If we ever get the chance to “redo” that, the guardrails muc\st be made much more robust. Many years ago, I was on the Byte Information Exchange (BIX) message board, and one of the members (a former USAF officer) had an interesting proposal. An aspirant to political office could be elected, serve a single term, and then return to private life. Or, after serving one term, he or she could run and be elected to a second term. However, if elected to that second term, at its completion, the office holder would be summarily executed. At the time, I thought that was a joke. I’ve since some to consider it in a more serious light.
Need more jurists with the cojones to pierce the ‘complexion curtain’ with ‘Maxwell’s Hammer”.
I am shocked and chagrined, mortified and stupefied. This is outrageous! It is a waste of the taxpayers’ time and money. It is a travesty of justice …
https://youtu.be/uPxZCSuAvXE?t=124
OMG that was hilarious!
Typical Democrat, “Don’t do as I do. Do as I say!” And of course she had good intentions when she did this which liberals always deem as a mitigating factor.
The professor must have a distorted lens over Boston that magnifies penalties. (1) Michelle Carter was convicted of manslaughter for texting her boyfriend encouraging him to kill himself, but the professor wrote that she was convicted of murder. (2) Rachel Rollins had her license suspended for less than a year, but the professor writes that she was disbarred. These are major differences.
“With Rollins, after an investigation found that she lied to investigators, the DOJ refused to file any charges at all. It is unclear what the DOJ felt was lacking in those findings or the underlying evidence.” No, Counselor. It IS clear. You know. They know. We know. And they know *everyone* knows why DOJ refuses to file charges against their own. Because they don’t *want* to file charges against their own. DOJ is an unJust Justice cabal. Feel free to use that anytime, Professor, because you *know* it’s true.
The DOJ’s corruption is the message. It is a power move designed to intimidate their political enemies.
Indeed. The process is the punishment for saying ‘no’ to the cabal.
The Hydra that is the Democratic Party again displays one its ugly heads: DEI. Cut this head off and what grows in its place? Corruption and cronyism.
And what price is paid to feed this head of the Hydra?
-loss of confidence by all citizens in THEIR government.
-sustained injury to minorities by tainting their accomplishments and aspirations with the never healing wound of perceived incompetence
Where are Heracles and Iolaus when they are desperately needed?
I am beginning to wonder if you need to be a person with loose scruples in order to be attracted to the prog/left. Is it just a coincidence or is their some logic to this?
The logic is simple and as old as the hills: Put people on the dole (directly or indirectly) and they are yours forever!
Whimsicalmama,
I would have to go with power and money.
In reading the histories of tyrants, I find that the combination of loose morals, unquenchable thirst for power (which included money) and penchant to remain willfully ignorant of any conflicting facts are the perfect combination to produce a democrat.
The thing that draws a person to the prog/left is the need to be in power.
When you go to school all your life, told you are the best, receive a participation trophy, and then find out that you have no marketable skills. The only other option is to go into government and the life of crime.
Democrats and their double standards. I would be shocked if it has not become so common.
Oh, in OT news, Schumer criticized after calling for new Israel elections as Biden renews sanctions waiver for Iran
“. . . as the Biden administration renews a waiver of sanctions which could grant the Iranian regime access to about $10 billion in assets.”
https://justthenews.com/government/congress/schumer-criticized-after-calling-new-israel-elections-biden-renews-sanctions
The Biden admin. The admin that keeps on giving to our enemies!
Upstate – this is actually kind of interesting. The Dems have a problem in that they have a large Jewish base and a large Muslim base. The underlying tensions that poses to the party came to the surface with the current Gaza war. One of the only things these two factions of the Dem party agree on is that they despise Bibi. So . . . Schumer’s move is kind of clever: don’t attack Israel, attack Bibi, and you please both factions. A radio commentator last night said it also has to do mainly with Michigan, the large “uncommitted” vote in that state (a Muslim protest vote), and how to bring those Muslims back into the fold.
But notice . . . the Dem politicians (and some R’s) have been calling for a cease fire in Gaza but not in Ukraine. Why? People are getting killed in both places. Because the Ukraine war is a cash cow for their donors, but Israel is not.
OldManFromKS,
Interesting idea, but after seeing the video of pro-Hamas protesters harassing AOC, I dont think nothing will appease them but Biden chanting “From river to sea!” a complete and total denouncement of Israel and suspension of all funding of any kind.
Great point.
I dont think nothing will appease them but Biden chanting “From river to sea!” a complete and total denouncement of Israel
I believe you may be right about that. If so, we may see another example of the Left eating its own. The forces of evil usually do have a few strategic weaknesses regardless of how much a juggernaut they seem, and this may be one of them. I sure hope so. The forces of darkness seem impenetrable in this nation right now. At some point, I believe the dam will break, they will receive justice, and America will enter a new high period such as after the last major crises of 1941-45. We are toward the end of the 80-year cycle so we’re due for things to come to a head and then resolve.
“the Dem politicians (and some R’s) have been calling for a cease fire in Gaza but not in Ukraine.”
Oldman, the leader of Hamas, Sinwar, does not want a cease-fire. He wants more Palestinian women and children killed as human shields because he is playing a public relations war. Biden is too dumb to figure that out. That is why there was peace in the Middle East with Trump and war under Biden.
“Schumer criticized after calling for new Israel elections ”
Upstate, Schumer demonstrates his disdain for democracy. Israel voted for Bibi, and one party leader recently moved his party to support Bibi, so Bibi’s support is rising. How dare our government officially call for a democracy and ally to follow his desire? He should be condemned, and the American public should remember that we did something similar in Ukraine, which is partly responsible for the Ukraine war.
Hamas controlled Gaza and proved they would not stop fighting until every Jew was dead, but Schumer wants two states. Essentially, that is what has existed since 2005. How much more stupid can Democrats get? Bibi, as the leader of Israel, must destroy Hamas, and Israel must treat Gaza like America treated the Japanese post-WW2. We cannot forget that many Gazans were involved in killing the 1,200 and taking captives. Hamas terrorists are born from and educated by the Gazans.
Cops and DAs always have protections against consequences from their actions. The fact they she got investigated and they found wrongdoing is a good thing.
But none of this is in anyway a reason for letting Trump out of consequences for his criminal activities.
OT: Fani Willis and her office can stay if Wade goes. Absurd decision in my view.
Daniel,
Yep.
But that is the Democrat party for you. The party of the absurd.
The Judge was not a Democrat…?
“Absurd decision in my view.”
On par with: There’s Bonnie and Clyde. But let’s only hold responsible and punish one of them. Leave the other in charge of the bank.
Andy McCabe leaked, lied to the FBI, got to retire with full benefits, and now gigs on CNN.