Declassified records expose a troubling pattern of the Trump-era Justice Department shielding high-profile figures from scrutiny. Newly released documents, reported by Just the News, reveal how investigations into James Comey, Hillary Clinton, Adam Schiff, and Hunter Biden were stalled or outright killed during Donald Trump’s first term, as Just the News reports. This isn’t justice -- it’s selective protection for the politically connected.
The Justice Department, FBI, and IRS under Trump slow-walked or halted probes into alleged crimes by prominent Democrats. Inquiries into Comey’s leaks, Clinton’s foundation, Schiff’s alleged disclosures, and Hunter Biden’s tax issues faced delays or outright dismissal. The pattern suggests a deep-state reluctance to hold elites accountable.
James Comey, former FBI director, approved leaking classified information to the media, using intermediaries like Daniel Richman to shape narratives. Richman admitted to FBI agents that he worked to correct stories critical of Comey, though he denied leaking classified data. Comey’s actions, meant to trigger a special counsel, succeeded when Robert Mueller was appointed in 2017.
Comey’s leaks, dubbed the “Comey Memos,” aimed to spur Mueller’s Trump-Russia probe, which found no collusion after two years. DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz criticized Comey in 2019 for bypassing protocol, yet the FBI concluded in 2021 that there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Apparently, leaking to manipulate investigations gets a free pass if you’re Comey.
James Baker, another FBI figure, disclosed classified information to the New York Times in 2016, believing Comey authorized it. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated, but by December 2018, special counsel John Durham recommended no prosecution. The DOJ’s refusal to act raises questions about whose interests were being served.
Adam Schiff, then a congressman and now a senator, faced allegations from a whistleblower who claimed he authorized leaking classified information to smear Trump. The whistleblower, a career intelligence officer, reported Schiff’s intent to use leaks to “indict” Trump. Schiff called the claims “absolutely false,” but the FBI’s failure to pursue charges leaves the truth conveniently buried.
The FBI launched multiple leak investigations with cryptic names like Arctic Haze and Tropic Vortex, yet none led to prosecutions. A 2024 DOJ Inspector General report detailed the FBI’s response to Schiff’s alleged leaks but concluded no charges were warranted. Protecting powerful Democrats seems to have been the unwritten rule.
Hillary Clinton’s foundation also dodged serious scrutiny during Trump’s term. The IRS began a criminal tax investigation but stopped cooperating with whistleblowers by spring 2019, halting all activity by July. The foundation, which received millions tied to the Uranium One deal, denied wrongdoing, claiming political motives.
Uranium One, a deal tied to Clinton’s time as secretary of State, saw millions flow to the Clinton Foundation, including $2.35 million from its chairman. Bill Clinton pocketed $500,000 for a 2010 Moscow speech from a bank promoting Uranium One. Yet, Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ probe, led by John Huber, fizzled out by 2020 without results.
Hunter Biden’s tax investigation faced similar roadblocks under Trump’s DOJ. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler reported deliberate delays, with investigative steps stalled by June 2020 over election concerns. “DOJ was under fire, and it was self-inflicted,” Shapley noted, highlighting bureaucratic foot-dragging.
The FBI verified Hunter Biden’s laptop in November 2019, but DOJ official Richard Donoghue ordered a cease-and-desist on overt actions by September 2020. President Joe Biden’s December 2024 pardon of Hunter only underscored the earlier failures to act. Political considerations trumped justice, it seems.
Durham’s probe into the Trump-Russia investigation yielded just one prosecution: FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who falsified a CIA email in 2017. Clinesmith’s light sentence -- probation and community service -- hardly matches the gravity of his “Viva le resistance” mindset. Durham’s narrow focus left broader FBI misconduct untouched.
Kash Patel, now FBI director, uncovered documents in 2025 showing Baker’s leaks were greenlit by Comey. Patel’s X post on Aug. 22, declared, “NO ONE is above the law,” hinting at a raid on John Bolton’s home that occurred that day. Yet, under Trump’s first term, such accountability was frustratingly absent.
The DOJ’s inaction extended to declining prosecutions against Comey, Schiff, and the Clinton Foundation. IRS officials admitted they lacked the resources to pursue charitable organizations like the Clinton Foundation, with one calling the effort “a fraud.” The system seemed designed to protect, not prosecute, the powerful.
These revelations paint a picture of a Justice Department more interested in shielding elites than in upholding the law. From Comey’s leaks to Clinton’s murky finances, the Trump-era DOJ’s failures fuel distrust in institutions meant to serve justice. Patel’s recent moves suggest a push for accountability, but the past shows how easily the connected escape scrutiny.
