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

President Trump's success in demolishing the traditional wall between the White House and the Justice Department is apparent at the helm of the agency, now led by his former personal lawyer, Todd Blanche.

Mr. Trump's reach can also be seen in the network of U.S. attorneys across the country who are flexing their power to pursue the president's political agenda.

At least eight current U.S. attorneys have played prominent roles in pushing Mr. Trump's grievances, often citing thin evidence that has subsequently led many of their cases to collapse. Three of those are running their offices without Senate confirmation.

Two have taken up investigations that the president explicitly told them to pursue. In one previously unreported episode, Mr. Trump privately urged the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, Daniel Rosen, to prosecute Representative Ilhan Omar, who is now under investigation for potential immigration violations.

Taken together, the events and decisions have deepened what current and former officials describe as the stark politicization of a department that had long prided itself on operating with independence in prosecuting politically sensitive cases. The president and Mr. Blanche say they are ending Biden-era "weaponization" of the Justice Department against conservatives, while current and former department lawyers decry what they say is a reckless lowering of standards to pursue Democrats and other political targets.

The actions reflect a radically altered Justice Department, one in which longstanding rules about ethics, investigative procedure and legal standards are changing. The president has asserted sweeping authority to fire career prosecutors and investigators at will, despite years of court precedent meant to prevent such actions.