A senior prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) resigned on Tuesday citing political pressure from officials appointed by former President Donald Trump’s administration. Denise Cheung, who served as the office’s chief of criminal prosecutions, was asked to launch a criminal investigation and freeze assets related to a government contract awarded during President Joe Biden’s time in office, even though she believed there was no evidence to support such an inquiry.
In a resignation letter reviewed by Reuters, Cheung explained that she was instructed to open a criminal investigation into a contract she did not name. However, after reviewing the case, she found no grounds to pursue it further. When she refused to start a grand jury investigation, she was told to try freezing the contract recipient’s assets instead.
“I have been proud to serve at the U.S. Department of Justice and this office for over 24 years,” Cheung wrote in her letter to acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin. “During my tenure, which has spanned over many different administrations, I have always been guided by the oath I took …to support and defend the Constitution.”
Cheung’s resignation adds to the list of DOJ officials who have quit or been fired for opposing what they view as improper political pressure, especially from the Trump administration. Since Trump took office, many career DOJ officials have left, as the administration pushed to make rapid changes, accusing the department of being used against him during his time out of power.
The Trump administration also targeted federal agencies, working to freeze funding, remove civil servants, and close agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides humanitarian aid.
In her letter, Cheung described being ordered to open a grand jury investigation into whether the contract was improperly awarded during the Biden administration. However, after reviewing evidence from the Deputy Attorney General’s office, she and her colleagues determined there wasn’t enough proof to justify investigating crimes such as wire fraud or conspiracy to defraud the United States.
When Cheung refused to move forward with the criminal investigation, Trump administration officials changed their approach and instructed her to freeze the assets linked to the contract instead. After consulting with the FBI Washington field office, she recommended a 30-day freeze on certain assets.
But Cheung said the next day, Martin and another official called her to say the letter wasn’t enough. They demanded she send a second letter to the bank, calling for an asset freeze as part of a criminal investigation.
Cheung said she was ultimately ordered to resign, and she announced her departure the next day.
Her resignation further highlights ongoing concerns among career DOJ officials about political interference in criminal investigations, particularly during Trump’s time in office, when many long-serving prosecutors were pushed out or chose to leave due to these pressures.
