In a sweeping overhaul of the Justice Department’s senior leadership, the White House has removed or reassigned dozens of career officials, particularly within the National Security Division (NSD), signaling a dramatic shift in the department’s priorities and approach to the rule of law. The moves reflect the President’s unconventional approach to governance, marked by a disregard for institutional norms and an emphasis on loyalty over established legal expertise.
Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have introduced the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act , a bipartisan measure aimed at enhancing …
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) has raised serious concerns over the potential consequences of the Trump-Johnson full-year Continuing Resolution (CR), particularly its impact on U.S. export controls and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The proposed legislation, set for a vote this week, grants the Trump administration broad discretion over federal spending, eliminating congressional directives that typically ensure funding for critical national security priorities, including sanctions, export controls, non-proliferation and emerging technology policy.
The White House having declared a policy of indifference to foreign corrupt practices, Justice officials abruptly scrubbed plans to participate in the American Bar Association's annual Conference on White Collar Crime in Miami. In a related development, two former Cognizant Technology Solutions executives charged over an alleged foreign bribery scheme may get a reprieve, as the newly installed US attorney for New Jersey, John Giordano asked the judge for a six-month extension “to allow sufficient time for my consideration” of the Executive Order. Two weeks earlier, the US Attorney’s office had indicated to the court that it was prepared to proceed with the trial.
President Trump announced the creation of a new Office of Shipbuilding in the White House to boost the U.S. defense industrial base. The administration will resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding, he said. The order reportedly includes measures ranging from raising revenue from fees on Chinese-built ships and cranes entering the U.S., to establishing a new office at the National Security Council to strengthen the domestic maritime sector.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the President's policies with Larry Kudlow at The Economic Club of New York event on March 6, 2025. "The president has already begun a campaign to rebalance the international economic system," he asserted. "Perhaps we are seeing an early big win with Germany's discussions to dramatically boost its military spending."
Still harboring a grudge dating back nine years, the President announced that a law firm that worked for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign will be sanctioned, as he finds "good cause to conclude that they neither have access to our Nation’s secrets nor be deemed responsible stewards of any Federal funds." According to The Washington Post, "the move could have a chilling effect on law firms’ willingness to take on clients and cases that run counter to the Trump administration, challenging a fundamental tenet of the rule of law in the United States that everyone should have access to legal representation."
Peter Harrell, Non-Resident Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, attorney, and host of the Security Economics Podcast shared with us his take on the anticipated timeline for upcoming tariff and trade actions under the Trump administration. While some dates are speculative and all are subject to change, the following milestones are expected:
Speaking at the Federal Bar Association’s (FBA) annual Qui Tam Section Conference, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston reaffirmed the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) commitment to rigorous enforcement of the federal False Claims Act (FCA), with a particular focus on illegal foreign trade practices. With the administration's more relaxed stance on foreign corruption, the resources previously focused on FCPA enforcement may find employment policing tarrif compliance. Mr. Granston linked the DOJ’s aggressive FCA enforcement efforts to broader government priorities aimed at enhancing efficiency and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.
The left-leaning news site The Intercept has published a primer on "How to Leak Under the Trump Administration," advising federal employees on best practices for communicating with the press outside official channels. To minimize risks, the article advises whistleblowers against using standard communication methods, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media, as these can expose metadata that links sources to journalists.
Thursday 27 February FinCEN announced that it will not issue any fines or penalties or take any other enforcement actions against any companies based on any failure to file or update beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports pursuant to the Corporate Transparency Act by the current deadlines.
In a recent policy brief "Trump’s Use of Emergency Powers to Impose Tariffs is an Abuse of Power," Georgetown Law Professor Jennifer Hillman examines the legality of President Trump’s February 2025 tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Hillman argues that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose broad-based tariffs and that doing so violates the constitutional delegation of tariff authority to Congress.
The Trump Treasury announced key senior appointments, assigning Secretary Scott Bessent a management team with proven loyalties to the President. John Hurley is nominee to serve as Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Mr. Hurley is currently the Managing Partner of Cavalry Asset Management and Managing Member of TGK Ventures. From 2018-2021, Mr. Hurley served on President Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board. The now relieved Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence is Bradley Smith , a career Treasury official who had held the role since August 2024. Previously, Mr. Smith served as the Director and Deputy Director of OFAC, playing a pivotal role in implementing sanctions, notably those targeting Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. With the recent ousting of Matt Borman as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Administration at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the sanctions community is waiting with bated breath to see what happens to Mr. Smith.
President Trump’s decision to revoke a requirement that recipients of arms transfers respected international laws drew jeers and cheers on Capitol Hill. National Security Memorandum 20 (NSM-20) was a Biden-era directive designed to enhance oversight of U.S. arms transfers, ensuring they were not misused by foreign partners in ways that violated human rights.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has firmly denied reports that he advocated for Canada’s removal from the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, calling the notion “crazy stuff.” His comments come amid escalating trade and diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries. The potential move to exclude Canada from Five Eyes is reportedly being considered as a pressure tactic amid Trump’s intensifying threats to annex Canada
Matthew Borman, principal deputy assistant secretary of commerce for export administration and Eileen Albanese, director of the Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls, have been forced out of the Commerce Department, leaving the government's trade security functions hobbled. As reported earlier Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has suspended the processing of applications for new export licenses submitted after February 5th, 2025. As of presstime (24 February) the Bureau has made no formal announcment as to when or if processing will resume.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced proposed actions in response to China’s alleged targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for global dominance, including the imposition of entry fees on Chinese ships calling at US ports. Subsidies for U.S.-built ships are proposed, targeting a more than tenfold increase in carriage on US-built chips within seven years.
Last week President Trump signed a directive aimed at protecting American companies from foreign-imposed taxes, fines, and regulatory restrictions, vowing to take retaliatory action against governments that unfairly target U.S. businesses. The Presidential Memorandum, titled Defending American Companies and Innovators From Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties, outlines the administration’s commitment to countering digital services taxes (DSTs) and other financial measures that disproportionately affect U.S. technology firms.
Friday President Trump signed a directive aimed at protecting American companies from foreign-imposed taxes, fines, and regulatory restrictions, vowing to take retaliatory action against governments that unfairly target U.S. businesses. The Presidential Memorandum, titled Defending American Companies and Innovators From Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties, outlines the administration’s commitment to countering digital services taxes (DSTs) and other financial measures that disproportionately affect U.S. technology firms.
President Trump intends to nominate John Eisenberg to head the Justice Department's National Security Division. Eisenberg previously served as Legal Advisor to the National Security Council during President Trump’s first term, where he was also Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs. Brett Shumate is tapped as chief of the Civil Division, and Patrick Davis will head the Office of Legislative Affairs. In other national security news, the nomination of Kash Patel as FBI Director has been confirmed by the Senate. Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined all Democrats in opposing Patel.