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