Ilhan Omar Investigation Involves New Scrutiny of Long-Disputed Marriage

29 October 2026 at 15:30

Several current and former law enforcement officials said an Obama-era investigation found some evidence that Ms. Omar had entered into a sham marriage with a man suspected of being her brother.

Representative Ilhan Omar at the Capitol in Washington earlier this year.

Judge Rejects Trump Officials’ Bid to Set Aside California Ballots

NYT > Top Stories

By: Shawn Hubler

29 October 2026 at 05:42

The judge ruled that no immediate action was necessary, dealing another setback to the administration as it moves to target voting by noncitizens.

Election workers process mail-in ballots in San Diego.

Cabinet Officials on the Campaign Trail? Ethics Experts Say Some Are Breaking the Law.

NYT > Top Stories

By: Karoun Demirjian

29 October 2026 at 02:35

As Trump officials stump for Republican candidates facing difficult races, ethics experts say they are being lax about complying with the Hatch Act, a federal anti-corruption law.

President Trump with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick at a campaign rally in North Carolina this month.

The U.S. Attorneys Carrying Out Trump’s Election and Grievance Cases

NYT > Top Stories

By: Devlin Barrett

28 October 2026 at 12:02

Together, they have pursued cases against the president’s enemies and protesters and amplified false claims of widespread election fraud, often citing thin evidence.

Justice Dept. Declines to Unseal Warrant for Search of Ilhan Omar’s Home

NYT > Top Stories

By: Francesca Regalado

28 October 2026 at 11:58

More than a dozen news organizations have asked a federal judge to unseal documents related to a search warrant executed at Ms. Omar’s home this month.

Rep. Ilhan Omar at the Capitol in January.

Judge Questions Trump Administration’s Need to Target Noncitizen Voters

NYT > Top Stories

By: Shawn Hubler

28 October 2026 at 03:53

In the legal tangle between the Justice Department and California, a federal judge on Tuesday deferred a ruling but said the government already had a remedy it could use after the election.

The Trump administration has pressed an effort to disqualify people it says are noncitizens from voting on Nov. 3.

White House Has Tight Grip Over FBI in Pursuing Trump Targets, Agent Says

NYT > Top Stories

By: Alan Feuer

28 October 2026 at 02:48

In court testimony, the agent outlined the willingness of Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, to take orders from President Trump to investigate his perceived enemies.

Bryan Witt, an F.B.I. agent, said the inquiry mandated by Kash Patel, the bureau’s director, was generally viewed inside his office as a “witch hunt.”

Grand Jury Declines to Bring Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson

NYT > Top Stories

By: Michael S. Schmidt · Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush

28 October 2026 at 05:21

The rejection of the indictment was the latest extraordinary setback in President Trump’s wide-ranging campaign to go after his political opponents.

The investigation of Cassidy Hutchinson was directed to the Justice Department’s civil rights division, which normally focuses on issues like police violence and election integrity.

Alex Pretti’s Parents Say Federal Government Is Silent on Investigation

NYT > Top Stories

By: Ernesto Londoño and Jack Healy

27 October 2026 at 21:20

The parents of the Minneapolis nurse who was fatally shot by federal agents in January said on Tuesday that the government had ignored and misled them.

Steven Schleicher, a lawyer for Michael and Susan Pretti, Alex Pretti’s parents, appeared with them at a news conference in Minneapolis.

Election Officials Fear Trump Administration’s Interference in Midterms Voting

NYT > Top Stories

By: Richard Fausset · Zolan Kanno-Youngs and David W. Chen

27 October 2026 at 17:38

State and local plans for Election Day include how to react to potential ICE raids, misbehavior by federal election monitors and attempts to seize votes or machines.

State and local election officials across the country have been redoubling training efforts to prepare for the potential for federal interference.

Judge Temporarily Blocks Further Alterations at D.C.’s East Potomac Park

NYT > Top Stories

By: Zach Montague

27 October 2026 at 07:00

A federal judge stopped the Trump administration from cutting trees and prohibited other changes at the park where the president has sought to overhaul a golf course.

Trees that have been cut down at East Potomac Golf Links are seen earlier this month in Washington. The Trump administration and the National Park Service moved to cut down up to 529 trees at East Potomac Golf Links.

Appeals Court Declines to Intervene in California Ballot Lawsuit

NYT > Top Stories

By: Zach Montague

27 October 2026 at 02:40

By a 2-1 vote, a federal appeals court panel denied the Trump administration’s request that it immediately order the state to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots.

Ballots being processed in City of Industry, Calif., during last year’s election.

Justice Dept. Brings More Charges Against Comey, Accusing Him of Leaks

NYT > Top Stories

By: Devlin Barrett

27 October 2026 at 02:02

Lawyers for James B. Comey said the case centered on an issue that had already been investigated and had not led to charges, of a purported leak of national security information to The Times in October 2016.

James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2017.

Trump’s Election Attacks Enter New Pre-emptive Phase

NYT > Top Stories

By: Zolan Kanno-Youngs

25 October 2026 at 21:42

A lawsuit by the Justice Department challenging a potential narrow loss by the GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska reflects a new tactic by the president to try to shape the election results.

President Trump at a midterm election campaign rally in Guardian Centers in Perry, Ga., on Saturday.

In Alaska, Some Early Voting Sites in Rural Villages Have Not Yet Opened

NYT > Top Stories

By: Anna Griffin and Emily Schwing

25 October 2026 at 01:06

“There is no legal excuse” for the failure of 18 polling sites to open for early voting, a state lawmaker said.

Senator Dan Sullivan finished second in the primary to Representative Mary Peltola and has trailed her in polls since.

Alaska Election Gambit Shows Justice Dept. Has Bowed to Trump’s Demands

NYT > Top Stories

By: Glenn Thrush · Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs

24 October 2026 at 22:21

With moves in Alaska and California, the department has stepped up interventions in the midterm elections as the president’s instrument of unmediated executive power.

President Trump during a campaign rally in support of Senator Dan S. Sullivan in Wasilla, Alaska, this month. Mr. Trump urged the Justice Dept. to intervene in the Senate race.

Justice Dept. Demands That California Counties Help Identify Noncitizen Voters

NYT > Top Stories

By: Laurel Rosenhall and Shawn Hubler

24 October 2026 at 09:21

Election officials across the state received letters from the agency saying if they fail to comply, they “risk significant federal scrutiny.”

A ballot processing center in Industry, Calif., last year. California elections rely heavily on mail voting.

Why Legal Experts See the Justice Dept.’s Alaska Election Challenge as Dubious

NYT > Top Stories

By: Charlie Savage

24 October 2026 at 02:22

No obvious legal authority supports a pre-emptive effort to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate election if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses.