DOJ · rule of law

DOJ independence: what it is, why it matters, and what to watch

2026-01-13 receipts doj rule of law institutions timeline receipts

Core question: Does DOJ enforcement follow evidence and law — or presidential direction?
Receipts standard: Personnel moves, public pressure, charging decisions, and documented interference patterns.

Timeline

1870

DOJ created by Congress (institutional baseline).

2025-10

Harvard Gazette interviews legal journalist Emily Bazelon about DOJ independence concerns and politicization risks in a second Trump term.

Ongoing

Track: public presidential pressure, unusual prosecutions, firings/resignations, and inspector general findings.

This site doesn’t declare “dictatorship” on vibes. It tracks specific actions that weaken institutional guardrails: direct pressure on prosecutions, retaliation against perceived enemies, and norm-breaking interference in law enforcement decisions.

The Harvard Gazette interview lays out the independence question and why legal officials worry about politicization, including concern around presidential pressure and the institutional line between the White House and DOJ decisions.

This post is your DOJ tracker starter: any time there’s a reported directive, a high-profile personnel purge, a prosecution that appears tied to presidential demands, or court findings about abuse, it gets a dated entry with links.

Sources

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