The Justice Department has sent grand jury subpoenas to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office over possible obstruction of justice after a federal judge referred him for criminal investigation.
Two sources briefed on the matter say the Justice Department delivered grand jury subpoenas to Democratic Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office in recent days, tied to potential obstruction of justice in how his office handled cases before federal judges.
Fox News reported the subpoenas followed a referral by U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond, who sent Krasner and top deputy Matthew Stiegler to the DOJ for a possible criminal probe. Neither man has been charged.
Diamond acted after evidence surfaced in a long-running murder case. The judge concluded Philadelphia’s top prosecutor and a senior aide may have broken the law, then removed both men from the matter while leaving the rest of the DA’s office in place.
Judge Diamond did not mince words in his opinion. He wrote that the record forced a hard call about the people sworn to enforce the law.
Diamond stated:
"I have thus reluctantly concluded that Philadelphia’s highest law enforcement official and one of his top assistants may have violated the law,"
The referral flagged possible false statements, perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. Diamond alleged Krasner and Stiegler pressed prosecutors to push a false narrative to the court. Prosecutors inside the office had raised conflicts involving Stiegler and urged the matter be sent to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Krasner opposed that move.
The judge also described Krasner warning of “consequences” if staff told the court about an internal conflict. Krasner repeatedly argued someone from his office had to stay involved to “protect the office.” Diamond disqualified Krasner and Stiegler but declined to boot the entire DA’s office.
The dispute grew out of the case of Dennis Johnson, convicted in 2009 of killing Kenyatta Smith. In a 2022 filing, the DA’s office said Johnson was entitled to habeas corpus relief based on ineffective assistance of counsel, a detail the Associated Press also reported.
That habeas fight put Krasner’s office under federal scrutiny. When conflicts involving Stiegler surfaced, line prosecutors wanted the Pennsylvania Attorney General to take over. Krasner resisted. Diamond’s later findings described an effort to keep the office in control and shape what the court heard.
More than a month after that referral, the Justice Department’s grand jury subpoenas arrived. Sources say they focus on potential obstruction tied to the handling of cases before federal judges. The DOJ declined to comment. Krasner’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Krasner pushed back hard when the referral became public. He framed the ruling as wrong on both facts and law and said the pending case limited what he could say.
Krasner said:
"I respectfully and vigorously disagree with the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law,"
He added:
"I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows. This remains a pending matter, which limits for now my and my office’s ability to respond in the media."
Heritage Foundation legal fellow Cully Stimson has warned that the referral puts Krasner’s career at serious risk and that prison time is not off the table if a case is built and proved. No charges have been filed. The grand jury process will decide what evidence is gathered and whether any indictment follows.
Grand jury subpoenas are compulsory tools. They can demand documents, testimony, or both. In this instance, sources link them to obstruction concerns after a sitting federal judge put Philadelphia’s elected district attorney and a top deputy in the DOJ’s sights.
For years Krasner has sold himself as a reform prosecutor. A federal judge has now said the city’s highest law enforcement official may have violated the law, and the Justice Department has followed with grand jury process. Voters and crime victims live with the results of that office every day. Accountability should mean the same rules apply when the prosecutor is the one under oath.
