The Justice Department recently issued grand jury subpoenas to the office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Information obtained by Fox News indicates potential obstruction of justice regarding how cases were managed before federal judges. Two sources confirmed that a federal judge had referred Krasner and his deputy to the DOJ for possible criminal investigation.
Krasner’s office has not yet commented, and the DOJ has also declined to make statements regarding the matter.
Federal Judge Refers Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner to DOJ for Possible Criminal Investigation
The report follows U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond’s referral of Larry Krasner and his deputy, Matthew Stiegler, to the DOJ over evidence from a murder conviction case. Judge Diamond’s evidence suggested the possibility of false statements, perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. No charges have been filed against Krasner or Stiegler yet.
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Judge Diamond disqualified Krasner and Stiegler from the specific case but did not disqualify the entire DA’s office. Allegations include pressure to present false narratives and threats of consequences if staff reported an internal conflict to the court.
Larry Krasner was quoted as saying, “I have thus reluctantly concluded that Philadelphia’s highest law enforcement official and one of his top assistants may have violated the law.”
The controversy arises from Dennis Johnson’s case, convicted in 2009 for killing Kenyatta Smith. Krasner’s office had argued Johnson deserved habeas relief due to ineffective counsel. Prosecutors pointed out potential conflicts involving Stiegler, asking for referral to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Krasner opposed this, insisting someone from his team needed to stay involved for protection.
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Krasner expressed disagreement with the court’s findings, looking forward to appealing when allowed. Due to the pending nature, media responses have been limited.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow.
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David Spunt currently works as a Washington D.C.-based correspondent for FOX News Channel. He joined the network in December 2018.