Jerry Seper
Articles by Jerry Seper
Saudi gets life term in Texas ‘jihad’ plot
A 22-year-old Saudi national was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Texas to life in prison in his June conviction on charges of attempting to build a weapon of mass destruction. Published November 13, 2012
Holder mulls whether to continue second term in Obama administration
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., held in contempt of Congress in June after refusing to turn over documents in the failed Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation, told law students at the University of Baltimore on Thursday that he was unsure whether he would serve in the second Obama administration. Published November 8, 2012
Mexican pot plans go up in a puff of smoke
A top aide to Mexican President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto says votes to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado and Washington state will force the Mexican government to rethink its efforts at trying to halt marijuana smuggling across the southwestern border. Published November 8, 2012
Colorado, Washington blow smoke in feds’ face by OK’ing pot for fun
In passing amendments in Colorado and Washington state for the first time legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, voters may have placed themselves in the cross hairs of the federal government — which steadfastly has maintained that possession of the drug remains a federal crime. Published November 7, 2012
Sandy blows a reprieve to illegals in U.S.
Citing the destruction of Superstorm Sandy, the Obama administration has waived immigration laws for illegal immigrants now in the United States, arguing that the immigrants' ability to maintain their lawful immigration status or obtain other immigration benefits may have been hampered by the deadly storm. Published November 5, 2012
Justice Department to monitor elections in 23 states
The Justice Department said Friday it will deploy more than 780 federal observers and department personnel to 51 jurisdictions in 23 states for the Nov. 6 general election to enforce federal voting rights laws that guarantee all citizens access to the ballot box. Published November 2, 2012
IG: Immigration courts ‘flawed,’ behind in caseloads
The federal court that hears immigration cases and administers the nation's immigration laws is "flawed" and has failed to keep up with pending cases despite an increase in the number of judges, a report said Thursday. Published November 1, 2012
Two GOP senators criticize stimulus for battery company
Each job created with federal stimulus cash through the Obama administration's advanced battery manufacturing program cost more than $158,000 and many of them likely were temporary, according to an analysis released Wednesday by two senior Republicans. Published October 31, 2012
Man pleads guilty to killing Border Patrol agent
A Mexican national charged in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a December 2010 gunfight along the Arizona-Mexico border pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Tucson. Published October 30, 2012
Report: ‘Fast and Furious’ failures at the top were ignored
The Justice Department has yet to confront widespread management failures in the botched Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation or to order operational changes that would prevent future "disasters" from occurring, two senior Republican lawmakers who first questioned the federal probe said Monday. Published October 29, 2012
Reports of violent crime dips for 5th consecutive year
The number of reported incidents of violent crime last year dropped by 3.8 percent to 1.2 million, the fifth consecutive year that the total has declined, the FBI said. Published October 29, 2012
Feds sue Mississippi for rights violations
The Justice Department has targeted Mississippi in a federal lawsuit claiming that the due process rights of children are "repeatedly and routinely" violated when arrested for minor offenses, accusing officials of operating a "school to prison pipeline" that singles out blacks and juveniles with disabilities. Published October 24, 2012
Feds: Mississippi officials violate juveniles’ rights
The Justice Department has targeted Mississippi in a federal lawsuit alleging that the due process rights of children "repeatedly and routinely" are violated when arrested for minor offenses, accusing officials of operating a "school to prison pipeline" that singles out blacks and juveniles with disabilities. Published October 24, 2012
‘Sequestration’ would weaken borders, lawmaker warns
More than 8,500 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement personnel face termination in January under the Obama administration's automatic spending cuts that take effect next year in a bid to attack the spiraling fiscal deficit. Published October 23, 2012
Canadian terrorism suspect’s extradition OK’d
A Canadian judge has approved extraditing to the United States an Iraqi-born Canadian citizen who the Justice Department has charged with conspiring to kill Americans abroad, including five soldiers, and with providing material support to terrorists. Published October 22, 2012
Former FBI agent indicted by federal grand jury
A former FBI agent was among three persons named in a federal grand jury indictment handed up Friday in Salt Lake City in a scheme to use the agent's official position to derail a federal investigation in exchange for a $200,000 cash payment. Published October 19, 2012
South Korean firm accused of stealing Kevlar trade secrets
A federal grand jury has indicted a South Korean company and five of its executives on charges they conspired to steal from two other firms trade secrets about Kevlar, a high-strength fiber used in body armor for both law enforcement and military personnel. Published October 18, 2012
Violent crime rises 18 percent nationwide
Violent crime in the United States rose by 18 percent last year, the first year-to-year increase in nearly two decades, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Published October 17, 2012
Man guilty in plot to kill Saudi ambassador
Manssor Arbabsiar, a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in federal court in New York on Wednesday in a scheme by members of the Iranian government to recruit a Mexican drug cartel to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States by bombing a Washington, D.C., restaurant. Published October 17, 2012
Taxpayer losses in bankruptcy of A123 queried
Two senior Republican senators called on the Department of Energy to explain whether the bankruptcy filing Tuesday by an electric car battery maker, A123 Systems Inc., which was awarded nearly $250 million in government stimulus grants, will result in any taxpayers losses. Published October 16, 2012
