National Roundup

New Jersey
Prosecutor’s office takes over police force’s operations
LINWOOD, N.J. (AP) — The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has taken over the daily operations of a southern New Jersey town’s police department amid allegations of misconduct by its chief.

Prosecutor Damon Tyner announced the move Monday, noting it took effect Jan. 1 and will remain in force indefinitely. The directive came after an investigation into “several complaints” of alleged misconduct by Linwood Police Chief John Hamilton, who was put on paid administrative leave by the Linwood City Council.

Officials have not disclosed further details about the allegations or the investigation. Linwood officials declined comment, saying the situation was considered a personnel matter.

Oregon
Ranchers whose case sparked standoff may get grazing rights
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The federal government has proposed awarding grazing allotments to an Oregon ranching family whose members were convicted of arson in a court battle that triggered the takeover of a federal wildlife refuge by right-wing extremists.

The Dec. 31 action by the Bureau of Land Management in favor of Hammond Ranches angered environmental groups.

“Giving the permit to the Hammonds shows a flagrant disregard for the rule of law ... and is clearly a political move rather than a responsible allocation of public lands,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of Western Watersheds Project.

Steven Hammond, co-owner of the ranch, and his father, Dwight, were both convicted of arson for setting fire to range land and sent to prison for mandatory five-year sentences.

That led to the armed occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon for 41 days in 2016. One occupier was shot dead by Oregon State Police. They say he reached for a pistol at a roadblock.

President Donald Trump pardoned the Hammonds in 2018, allowing them to be freed from federal prison.

In a proposed decision made on Dec. 31, the BLM said Hammond Ranches should be apportioned all available forage in the Bridge Creek area grazing allotments in the high desert of eastern Oregon, covering about 26,000 acres.

The federal agency cited the Hammonds’ “extensive historic use of these allotments, past proper use of rangeland resources, a high level of general need, and advantages conferred by topography.”

But in 2014, when Barack Obama was president, the BLM denied Hammond Ranches, Inc. a grazing permit renewal, saying it “does not have a satisfactory record of performance” and cited numerous incidents of arson.

At the Hammonds’ trial, witnesses testified that a 2001 arson fire occurred shortly after Steven Hammond and his hunting party illegally slaughtered deer on BLM property. One said Steven Hammond handed out matches with instructions to “light up the whole country.” The jury also convicted Steven Hammond for a 2006 blaze.

Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians said they plan to protest the proposed decision.

“With one foot out the door, the Trump Administration is trying ... to allow these bad-actor permittees to run roughshod over public lands,” said Sarah McMillan, Conservation Director for WildEarth Guardians.

Any protest by an interested party should be made within 15 days of being advised of the proposed decision, with a final decision issued thereafter, said BLM spokeswoman Tara Thissell.

Georgia
Trump-appointed US attorney resigns in Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) — The top federal prosecutor in Atlanta left his position Monday, a day after an audio recording was made public in which President Donald Trump called him a “never-Trumper.”

Byung J. “BJay” Pak, who was appointed by Trump, announced his resignation as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in a news release. The statement did not say why Pak was leaving or what he plans to do next.

“It has been the greatest honor of my professional career to have been able to serve my fellow citizens as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia,” Pak said in the release. “I have done my best to be thoughtful and consistent, and to provide justice for my fellow citizens in a fair, effective and efficient manner. I am grateful to President Trump and the United States Senate for the opportunity to serve, and to former Attorneys General Sessions and Barr for their leadership of the Department.”

Trump on Saturday had a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which the president suggested that the state’s top election official might find enough votes to reverse the outcome of the presidential race in the state in his favor. A recording of that call was obtained Sunday by news outlets including The Associated Press.

During the roughly hourlong call, Trump advanced numerous false claims. Referring to investigations into his baseless claims of voter fraud, the president said, “You have your never-Trumper U.S. attorney there.”

Pak was sworn in as U.S. attorney in the Atlanta-based Northern District of Georgia in October 2017 after having been appointed by Trump. Pak was a Republican state lawmaker from 2011 to 2017, had previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 2002 to 2008 and was working in private practice at the time of his appointment.

In announcing Pak’s nomination, the White House said that he and five other nominees for U.S. attorney posts “share the president’s vision for ‘Making America Safe Again.’”

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond Monday to questions about what sparked Pak’s sudden resignation or whether acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen had sought the departure.

Pak’s resignation comes nearly a month after the departure of Charlie Peeler, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 to serve as U.S. attorney for the Macon-based Middle District of Georgia. Peeler resigned on Dec. 11, saying in a news release that he planned to return to private practice with an Atlanta law firm.