Pirro’s special grand jury move raises eyebrows after Trump fury over dropped Reflecting Pool case vandalism charges
The US Justice Department has convened a rare special grand jury in Washington, with Steven Vandervelden, a close ally of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, set
The US Justice Department has convened a rare special grand jury in Washington, with Steven Vandervelden, a close ally of US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, set to oversee the panel, The Washington Post reported, citing three government officials familiar with the matter. The purpose of the grand jury has not been disclosed, but its formation is raising eyebrows because of its potential to investigate some of the most controversial cases handled by Pirro’s office. The development also comes just under two weeks after Pirro infuriated President Donald Trump by dismissing vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Pirro’s ally to oversee grand jury According to The Washington Post, Vandervelden is one of Pirro’s top allies at the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Pirro has previously relied on him for investigations involving some of the office’s most controversial matters, including a probe into then-Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H.
Powell and an inquiry into allegations that the D.C. police department deliberately skewed crime statistics. It remains unclear what the newly convened special grand jury will investigate. However, the involvement of one of Pirro’s close allies has prompted speculation that the panel could potentially examine cases that have generated significant controversy. There is no indication in the material reported by the news outlet that the grand jury has been assigned to any particular case. Move comes after Trump-Pirro clash The timing of the development is drawing particular attention. Last week, Trump suggested that Pirro’s job could be in jeopardy after she dismissed charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The development comes as Pirro and senior Justice Department officials face pressure to deliver on cases that Trump has publicly demanded be prosecuted. Speculation over controversial cases The special grand jury’s creation has fuelled speculation about whether it could be used to investigate some of the most controversial matters handled by Pirro’s office.
Special grand juries are typically used for investigations involving government officials, broad conspiracies or organised criminal activity. Unlike ordinary grand juries, they can focus exclusively on a single case or a group of related cases. However, the specific mandate of the D.C. panel remains unknown. Why a special grand jury is significant A special grand jury has 23 members and operates largely like an ordinary grand jury when it comes to indictments. Prosecutors must persuade a simple majority that there is probable cause to believe a crime was committed. But it has an additional power that makes it particularly significant: it can issue a report at the end of an investigation even when prosecutors do not have sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. The report can name individuals if the evidence establishes a preponderance of evidence of wrongdoing, a lower threshold than the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard required for a criminal conviction.
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