The Justice Department plays a central role in nearly every important political, legal and constitutional conflict. It’s also my assignment desk.
One of the greatest challenges of covering a vast and complex department is simply deciding what to write about, and how that coverage can best serve the public interest.
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. — in Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach — where my parents ran an ice cream store under the Ocean Parkway stop of the elevated Q line.
After graduating Brooklyn College, I took a job at the weekly Downtown Express in Lower Manhattan, where I was schooled in my trade by Jan Hodenfield, a brilliant and generous editor who had been one of Rolling Stone’s first staff writers.
I’ve worked at many places subsequently: The Birmingham Post-Herald, City Limits, The Daily News, Bloomberg, Newsday and Politico.
In 2017, I joined The Times, where I’ve covered the White House, Congress, politics, poverty, housing, trade, and, now, the Justice Department. My most fulfilling assignment, however, was writing obituaries about some of the extraordinary, if lesser known, people who died during the pandemic.
As a Times journalist, I share the values and adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in The Times’s Ethical Journalism handbook. I strive to be scrupulous about accuracy, context and confidentiality.
I respond quickly to emails.
As both sides prepare for the start of jury selection on Thursday, there are no indications that any deal is likely, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. By Glenn Thrush
American spy agencies have assessed that the Kremlin favors former President Donald J. Trump, seeing him as skeptical of U.S. support for Ukraine. By Julian E. Barnes, Glenn Thrush and Steven Lee Myers
Yahya Sinwar, the group’s political chief, was charged with carrying out the attacks that resulted in the killing of at least 43 Americans. Five other Hamas senior leaders were also charged. By Adam Goldman, Ronen Bergman and Glenn Thrush
The statement from the Army is the first detailed description of an altercation that took place on Monday, as Mr. Trump appeared for a wreath-laying ceremony. By Chris Cameron, Maggie Haberman and Eric Schmitt
The Justice Department’s inspector general cited significant improvements even as he identified structural issues, like high caseloads, that continue to hamper progress. By Glenn Thrush and Juliet Macur
F.B.I. officials said the profile that has emerged of Thomas Crooks, based on an analysis of his electronics, resembles that of a mass shooter more than a politically motivated assassin. By Glenn Thrush
Jack Smith’s filing, in the case charging the former president with plotting to overturn the 2020 election, came in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling giving former presidents broad immunity. By Alan Feuer and Charlie Savage
The agents will remain on the agency payroll while investigations continue into failures that allowed a gunman to shoot at the former president last month. By Eileen Sullivan and Glenn Thrush
A preliminary hearing on Wednesday will determine the contours of the tax trial Hunter Biden faces in September. It is often a forum for discussions that could lead to a plea deal. By Glenn Thrush
American intelligence agencies also confirmed that the effort extended to the Biden-Harris campaign, though that bid was unsuccessful. By Glenn Thrush and Adam Goldman
In one attack, a Jordanian man living in Orlando broke into an energy plant in Wedgefield, Fla., where he smashed equipment, causing about $700,000 in damage. By Glenn Thrush
Five people have been charged with a conspiracy to distribute the powerful anesthetic that led to the death of the “Friends” star. Three of them are pleading guilty. By Matt Stevens
The bureau has repeatedly warned about foreign countries meddling in the upcoming election, including using artificial intelligence to spread misinformation. By Adam Goldman, Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush
Investigators are still trying to determine why the contractor, Gokhan Gun, who became an American citizen in 2021, hoarded so many documents. By Glenn Thrush and Seamus Hughes
The Justice Department charged two Iranians with smuggling missile parts that were seized in January in the Arabian Sea. The search resulted in charges for four others and the deaths of two Navy SEALs. By Glenn Thrush
They stopped short of accusing Mr. Biden of violating foreign lobbying laws but said they would show how foreign interests paid him to influence the government while his father was vice president. By Glenn Thrush and Kenneth P. Vogel
The court found that the law did not violate the requirements in a recent ruling that expanded gun rights. Lawyers for one of the plaintiffs said they would request Supreme Court review. By Glenn Thrush
Investigators believe that the targets of the man, who had recently spent two weeks in Iran, likely included former President Donald Trump. By Glenn Thrush
The Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller investigated whether a Trump adviser was part of an Egyptian plan, never proven, to funnel $10 million to the 2016 Trump campaign. By Michael S. Schmidt, Adam Goldman and Glenn Thrush
The inquiry, which found that the attorney general did not order the forced removal of protesters, covered Donald J. Trump’s polarizing decision to walk through Lafayette Park for a photo opportunity nearby. By Glenn Thrush
