The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on Monday alleging that three senior DOJ officials leaked confidential information to the media in an effort to harm Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The officials are now under investigation for potential violations of the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while performing their official duties.
The report also highlights that DOJ policy strictly prohibits employees from disclosing information about ongoing investigations. Despite this, at least one senior official reportedly used an official DOJ social media account to share links to articles that resulted from the leaked information.
The OIG initiated its investigation after receiving allegations that certain actions by a DOJ litigating division were politically motivated and violated the department’s confidentiality policies.
According to the report, the three senior officials leaked non-public DOJ investigative information to select reporters just days before a key election. The leaked information was subsequently used in two published news articles.
The investigation found that one of these officials not only leaked information but also violated the DOJ’s Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy and its Social Media Policy by reposting links to the articles on an official DOJ social media account.
The Inspector General’s report states:
“The OIG investigation found that three then Senior DOJ Officials violated DOJ’s Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy by leaking to select reporters, days before an election, non-public DOJ investigative information regarding ongoing DOJ investigative matters, resulting in the publication of two news articles that included the non-public DOJ investigative information. The OIG investigation also found that one of these three then Senior DOJ Officials violated the Confidentiality and Media Contacts Policy and DOJ’s Social Media Policy by reposting through a DOJ social media account links to the news articles.”
The report has been forwarded to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which holds exclusive jurisdiction to investigate potential Hatch Act violations. The Office of the Special Counsel will determine whether the actions of these officials constituted violations of the Hatch Act.
Notably, the OIG report did not specify which confidential information was leaked or the publications that received the leaks. However, the timing and nature of the leaks suggest an effort to sway public perception of Trump during a critical election period.
The controversy around DOJ leaks aligns with concerns raised by Senator Chuck Grassley in an August letter. Grassley criticized the Department of Justice after a report in The Washington Post alleged that Trump had received $10 million from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the 2016 election. The article relied on what it described as “classified U.S. intelligence.”
This investigation, which had been initiated by former FBI Director Robert Mueller, was abandoned due to insufficient evidence. Grassley’s letter accused the DOJ of engaging in politically motivated actions, suggesting that the leak and subsequent reporting were part of a broader pattern of misconduct within the department.