U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said rifle and shotgun carriers in D.C. may now avoid being charged with felonies, in a shift that undermines Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime campaign in the nation’s capital.
In an email reviewed by The Washington Post and in her own remarks, the former Fox News host said federal prosecutors in D.C. have been ordered not to pursue felony charges against people caught carrying rifles or shotguns, no matter how strong the evidence. The new marching orders, crafted by the Justice Department and its solicitor general, mark a sharp reversal from years of practice.
The timing is brutal for the White House, which has declared a “crime emergency” in D.C.
Pirro, who left Fox News in May and was confirmed to her new role as D.C.’s top federal prosecutor two weeks ago, insisted the change was required by the Constitution.
In a statement to the Post, she said the District’s ban on carrying rifles or shotguns “is clearly a violation of the Supreme Court’s holdings” in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022). Both rulings expanded gun rights and narrowed the scope of permissible firearm restrictions.
“Without question, President Donald Trump and I are committed to prosecuting gun crime,” Pirro said in a statement. “This unprecedented number of gun case prosecutions in both federal and local court is only done consistent with the constitution and the laws of the land.”
Pirro said her office would continue to charge crimes of violence or gun trafficking involving shotguns or rifles.
Prosecutors are likely to keep bringing cases involving the illegal possession of handguns, which make up most firearm offenses in the District, according to the Post.
Pirro added: “Nothing in this memo from the Department of Justice and the Office of Solicitor General precludes the United States Attorney’s Office from charging a felon with the possession of a firearm, which includes a rifle, shotgun, and attendant large capacity magazine pursuant to DC Code 22-4503. What it does preclude is a separate charge of possession of a registered rifle or shotgun.”
Trump this month claimed that crime in the nation’s capital was “out of control,” despite police data showing that violent crime in Washington dropped to a three-decade low last year.
On Truth Social last week, Trump insisted, “The White House is in charge.” His administration bragged Tuesday morning that 68 guns had already been seized as part of the crackdown.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Pirro’s office for comment.
The post Judge Jeanine Pirro Blows a Hole in Trump’s Crime Crackdown appeared first on The Daily Beast.
