Executive Summary
- Prosecutors in the Maryland US Attorney’s Office are reportedly hesitant to pursue charges against Senator Adam Schiff for mortgage fraud, despite internal pressure from a Trump Justice Department official, Ed Martin.
- President Trump publicly commented on the probe, hoping the allegations are true, and previously urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to take aggressive action against political opponents, specifically naming Adam Schiff.
- The investigation into Senator Schiff remains ongoing and is viewed as highly politicized, occurring amidst other Trump administration legal actions against perceived adversaries like James Comey and Letitia James.
The Story So Far
- The investigation into Senator Adam Schiff and the internal pressure to pursue charges against him are set against a backdrop of intense political animosity, as Schiff was a leading figure in House investigations that led to President Trump’s first impeachment. President Trump has publicly and privately urged his Justice Department to take aggressive action against political opponents, specifically naming Schiff, which explains the reported pressure on prosecutors. This situation reflects a broader pattern of the Trump administration’s legal actions targeting perceived adversaries.
Why This Matters
- The reported hesitancy of Maryland prosecutors to pursue charges against Senator Adam Schiff, despite pressure from a Trump Justice Department official and public comments from President Donald Trump, highlights concerns about the politicization of the Justice Department and raises questions about the independence of federal investigations in cases involving perceived political adversaries.
Who Thinks What?
- Prosecutors within the Maryland US Attorney’s Office are reportedly hesitant to pursue charges against Senator Adam Schiff over allegations of mortgage fraud.
- Ed Martin, a Trump Justice Department official, is actively advocating for an indictment in the mortgage fraud probe.
- President Donald Trump hopes the allegations against Senator Schiff are true and has publicly urged aggressive action against political opponents, specifically naming “Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff.”
Prosecutors within the Maryland US Attorney’s Office are reportedly hesitant to pursue charges against Democratic Senator Adam Schiff over allegations of mortgage fraud, despite internal pressure from a Trump Justice Department official, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The investigation into the California senator, a vocal political opponent of President Donald Trump, remains ongoing as of Wednesday.
Internal Deliberations
Ed Martin, a prominent official within the Trump Justice Department, has been actively advocating for an indictment in the mortgage fraud probe. However, prosecutors have recently engaged with the Deputy Attorney General’s Office to discuss potential next steps, including the review of additional records.
Sources indicate that Kelly Hayes, the US Attorney for Maryland, is working to temper Martin’s push for an indictment. The hesitancy among prosecutors was initially reported by NBC.
President Trump’s Comments and Past Directives
President Donald Trump declined to comment directly on the ongoing probe when questioned by reporters on Thursday, stating, “I hope it’s true, but I don’t know anything.” He added, “Adam Schiff is one of the lowest forms of scum I’ve ever dealt with in politics. He’s a horrible human being, very dishonest person. I have no idea what’s going on. You tell me that he’s going to be indicted. I don’t know.”
Schiff has been a frequent target of President Trump’s criticism, stemming from his leadership in House investigations into the president during his first term. This included probes into Russian election interference and the withholding of Ukraine aid, which ultimately led to the president’s first impeachment.
Last month, President Trump used his Truth Social platform to issue a directive to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging aggressive action against political opponents, specifically naming “Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff.” CNN later reported that this message was intended as a private communication to Bondi.
When asked about reports concerning the Schiff investigation on Thursday, Attorney General Bondi, who was with President Trump, stated, “We’re not going to comment on any grand jury that’s open. We can’t legally.” An attorney for Senator Schiff did not respond to requests for comment.
Related Indictments
Since President Trump’s message to Bondi, Lindsey Halligan, the interim US Attorney for Eastern Virginia appointed by Trump, has secured grand jury indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both Comey and James have denied any wrongdoing.
The internal disagreements among prosecutors and the public comments from President Trump underscore the highly politicized nature surrounding the investigation into Senator Schiff. These developments occur amidst a broader context of the Trump administration’s legal actions targeting perceived political adversaries.
