House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is sending subpoenas to district attorneys in two blue states. He accuses them of giving preferential treatment to illegal immigrant criminals. Fox News reported that Jordan sent these letters to Steve Descano in Fairfax, Virginia, and Michael Dougherty in Boulder, Colorado. The letters state that these officials failed to produce a single document despite repeated requests.
Jordan wrote that their offices let foreign national criminals escape accountability. He said this lenient treatment endangers local communities. The committee has spent weeks investigating prosecutors who consider immigration status when charging crimes. Legal status remains irrelevant to the alleged crime even in such instances.
Steve Descano recently made headlines after a U.S. citizen was stabbed to death. In 2012, the accused killer entered the U.S. illegally from Sierra Leone. According to the Department of Homeland Security, this man faced arrest over 30 times prior to the killing. Descano issued plea bargaining guidance in January 2020. That guidance told prosecutors to “consider immigration consequences where possible.”
Descano’s office also told prosecutors to look at “the collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with.” WTOP News confirmed these instructions. Descano’s office told Fox News Digital they are disappointed by the “needless escalation of this matter.” They called it a partisan siege on Fairfax County residents. They claim it does nothing to improve public safety.
Meanwhile, Michael Dougherty recently lost his Democratic primary campaign for attorney general. He told the Boulder Reporting Lab that Jordan’s probe was a political sideshow. An ordinance was issued by the city of Boulder during January 2017. Government employees received directives prohibiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
A federal judge in Philadelphia referred District Attorney Larry Krasner to the Justice Department for investigation. The New York Post reported that Judge Paul Diamond made this referral on Tuesday. The judge also ordered that Krasner and Assistant DA Matthew Stiegler be removed from a specific case. Diamond wrote he “reluctantly concluded” that these officials may have violated the law.
The case involves a 2009 murder conviction that Krasner tried to get thrown out. Court documents reveal that staffers raising the issue were warned about potential consequences. The judge found the conduct may have amounted to perjury and obstruction of justice. Krasner hit back in a statement. He declared that “I respectfully and vigorously disagree” with the judge.
Krasner stated he anticipates appealing to a higher court once the law permits. The man involved in the 2009 case was found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison for killing Kenyatta Smith during a botched robbery. Krasner’s office filed a petition for his release in 2022.
