Kerry Picket
Articles by Kerry Picket
Trump pardons 1,500 Jan. 6 ‘hostages’
President Trump on Monday granted pardons to about 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, making good on his campaign promise to end the judicial nightmare of his supporters whom he called "hostages." Published January 20, 2025
Trump names Brian Driscoll to serve as acting FBI director after Paul Abbate retires
President Trump appointed Brian Driscoll on Monday to be acting director of the embattled FBI, pending Senate action on his nominee to lead the agency. Published January 20, 2025
FBI Agents Association rebukes Biden for granting clemency to killer of two agents
President Biden's commutation for Leonard Peltier, who killed two FBI special agents, drew sharp criticism from the FBI Agents Association. Published January 20, 2025
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate retires from the agency
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate retired from his post minutes after President Trump was sworn into office. Published January 20, 2025
Speaker Johnson appoints Intelligence Committee chairman after ejecting Mike Turner from the job
House Speaker Mike Johnson Thursday appointed a new chairman to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Published January 16, 2025
Speaker Johnson removes Mike Turner from House intelligence panel
Speaker Mike Johnson will not appoint Rep. Mike Turner to chair the House Select Intelligence Committee in the new Congress, The Washington Times confirmed with an inside source. Published January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi pledges to end era of America’s weaponized federal government
Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said she'll end the federal government's practice of targeting conservatives and other politically biased investigations that began nearly ten years ago when Mr. Trump announced his first White House campaign. Published January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi faces off against Sen. Adam Schiff at confirmation hearing
Sparks flew on Wednesday when Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi tangled with Sen. Adam Schiff, who demanded to know if she would open an investigation into President-elect Donald Trump's political opponents and whether she believes Mr. Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. Published January 15, 2025
Democrats grill Pam Bondi about ‘weaponizing’ DOJ against Trump’s political foes
Senate Democrats on Wednesday pressed Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi about whether she would be independent of the political whims of President Donald Trump and turn the Justice Department against his political enemies. Published January 15, 2025
Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi says she will examine Trump Jan. 6 pardons ‘case by case’
Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that she would look at pardons for Jan. 6 participants on a "case by case basis." Published January 15, 2025
Pam Bondi, AG nominee, says she will ‘fix’ the Bureau of Prisons
Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi on Wednesday told the Senate Judiciary Committee that she planned to repair the problems plaguing the Bureau of Prisons. Published January 15, 2025
Democrats skipping Trump’s inauguration aren’t calling it a boycott
Many congressional Democrats don't plan to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, but this time around, they're not calling it a boycott. Published January 14, 2025
Last-minute push: Democrats want Trump probe records protected before Bondi takes office
Senate Judiciary Democrats want Attorney General Merrick Garland to preserve records related to the Justice Department's Trump investigations because they anticipate President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, plans to "weaponize" the Department against those involved in the probes. Published January 13, 2025
Jan. 6 prisoner advocates preparing for mass commutations by Trump on Inauguration Day
A Jan. 6 prisoners advocacy organization is now preparing for the mass release of all incarcerated Jan. 6 defendants when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into the White House on Jan. 20. Published January 11, 2025
Vance resigns from Senate
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance announced Thursday his resignation from the Senate effective at midnight, so he can be sworn in as vice president on Jan. 20. Published January 9, 2025
Rep. Richard Hudson reintroduces concealed carry reciprocity legislation
Rep. Richard Hudson reintroduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow people with state-issued concealed carry licenses or permits to transport a handgun to any other state that allows concealed carry. Published January 8, 2025
Confirmation hearings for Trump DOJ and FBI choices likely postponed, says Sen. Grassley
Confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general and FBI director nominees may be postponed, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday. Published January 8, 2025
GOP lawmakers introduce legislation to abolish ATF
A pair of Republican lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Published January 7, 2025
Cotton calls on AG Garland to stop attacking police departments with last-minute consent decrees
Sen. Tom Cotton on Tuesday rebuked Attorney General Merrick Garland for imposing a last-minute takeover of a dozen police departments using federal consent decrees. Published January 7, 2025
New gun laws take hold across the country
New gun laws took effect on Jan. 1 in states that expand and restrict the right to carry a firearm. Published January 7, 2025
