The Latest From the Nation’s Capital

Here’s the very latest from Washington, DC, the nation’s capital — your capital. There’s a brand new lawsuit from DC officials that challenges Trump’s use of the National Guard as a “military occupation.” A Federal Judge in D.C. said U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office have tarnished its reputation with how they are handling the deluge of hundreds of cases. And leaders in the House and Senate are not planning to hold votes to extend President Donald Trump’s temporary control of D.C. police before it expires next week. Here’s details ….

DC lawsuit challenges Trump’s National Guard deployment as a forced ‘military occupation’

The District of Columbia on Thursday [Sept.4] challenged President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Washington, asking a federal court to intervene even as he plans to send troops to other cities in the name of driving down crime. Brian Schwalb, the district’s elected attorney general, said in a lawsuit that the deployment, which now involves more than 1,000 troops, is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

“No American jurisdiction should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation,” Schwalb wrote.

The White House said deploying the Guard to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement is within Trump’s authority as president. “This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors — to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.

Members of the D.C. National Guard have had their orders extended through December, according to a Guard official. While that does not necessarily mean all those troops will serve that long, it is a strong indication that their role will not wind down soon.

For more, go here.

Federal Judge chastises D.C. prosecutor’s office led by Jeanine Pirro, says it has ‘no credibility left’

Federal Judge in D.C. said U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office have tarnished its reputation with how they are handling the deluge of cases.

Judge Zia Faruqui, a former federal prosecutor, said leaders of U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro’s office have tarnished its reputation with how they are handling the deluge of cases. He said Pirro’s office is routinely bringing cases that don’t belong in federal court and needlessly keeping people in jail for days while they evaluate charges.

The judge lambasted Pirro’s office during a hearing at which he agreed to dismiss the federal case against a man accused of threatening to kill Trump while in police custody. The defendant, Edward Alexander Dana, spent more than a week in jail before a federal grand jury refused to indict him.

The White House says over 1,800 people have been arrested since the operation started Aug. 7. Over 40 cases have been filed in district court, which hears the most serious federal offenses, including assault, gun and drug charges.

For more, go here.

Congress Not Planning Vote to Extend Trump’s 30-Day D.C. Police Takeover

Leaders in the House and Senate are not planning to hold votes to extend President Donald Trump’s temporary control of D.C. police before it expires next week, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The news arrives on the heels of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) ordering indefinite coordination between local and federal law enforcement officials and projecting confidence in the city’s ability to handle public safety without federal intervention.

In allowing the Trump administration’s grip on the department to come to an end, Congress closes one chapter in the ongoing tussle between local and federal officials vying for control over public safety in the capital. But for now, it appears unlikely fewer federal agents or camouflage-clad troops will patrol city streets.

“This is by mutual agreement with the White House,” a senior Senate staffer familiar with the matter said of the decision not to hold an extension vote. The staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the White House was “mollified by Bowser’s promise of cooperation and support.”

The congressional decision offers a win for Bowser and her approach with the president, praised by some as strategically collegial and criticized by others as out of touch with the anger and concern in communities across the city. Still, the District continues to face a barrage of attempts by the GOP-led Congress to exert further control over local matters and erode D.C.’s already limited ability to govern itself.

Claiming the nation’s capital was overrun with “bloodthirsty criminals,” Trump declared a crime emergency in D.C. last month and placed the police department under direct federal control. He also deployed the D.C. National Guard to patrol city streets — a move not subject to the emergency declaration.

For more, go here.