U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has made a rare move by convening a special grand jury, the purpose of which is shrouded in mystery.
According to a Wednesday report from The Washington Post, the federal prosecutor made the unusual move to create the special grand jury, a “rare legal body that officials say could pave the way for federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital to investigate some of its biggest and most controversial cases.”
Exclusive: The Justice Department has convened a special grand jury in D.C., a rare legal body that officials say could pave the way for federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital to investigate some of its biggest and most controversial cases. https://t.co/s3qzIvdQBs
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 12, 2026
“Unlike typical grand juries, special grand juries can issue a critical report even if prosecutors lack enough evidence to bring charges,” according to the WaPo. “D.C.’s special grand jury will be overseen by Steven Vandervelden, a top ally of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.”
Details about the special grand jury are unknown, and a spokesperson for Pirro said: “We don’t confirm or deny the existence of investigations.”
“Special grand juries, on the rare occasions when they are convened, are typically used to pursue investigations of government officials or probe broad conspiracy cases and organized criminal activity. (A group of corruption cases that prosecutors deem to be linked could qualify as the latter.)” The Post reported.
“There is no known recent precedent for a special grand jury in Washington, legal experts said, although they said they could not entirely rule out that one has escaped public notice,” according to the paper.
“They are very unusual,” the WaPo quotes Roger Williams University professor Niki Kuckes, an expert on grand juries. “Sometimes they can issue a report, which a regular grand jury can’t do.”
“It’s a very protective scheme. A majority of the grand jurors have to decide to issue the report,” Kuckes added. “And a special grand jury has to be set up to investigate some criminal wrongdoing. You can’t just have one to issue a report.”
The move comes as the embattled former Fox News host is on the outs with her boss, President Donald J. Trump, after her office abruptly dropped the case against former Olympian David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, something that the canoeist has denied.
“She choked,” Trump said of his longtime ally, adding that she “folded like an umbrella” in remarks expressing his displeasure with letting Hearn off the hook. The president has repeatedly insisted that the damage to the Reflecting Pool, a project of personal pride, was caused by left-wing miscreants and not a “botched installation” by contractors as Pirro’s office said when it dismissed the charges.
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking?” Trump said in a post to Truth Social after her office chose to walk away from the case. “To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass, which had a big 86 47 emblazoned in giant letters on it, and other elements of the surrounding area. There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!”
🚨JUST POSTED🚨
President Donald Trump just posted this on Truth Social:
“I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on the Reflecting Pool. I don’t know what she was thinking? To me, it was a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the… pic.twitter.com/EVnc0XRItU
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) August 1, 2026
Trump has suggested that Pirro’s job isn’t secure with his displeasure over the Hearn matter at a boiling point.
Pirro’s move comes as House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) announced a probe into the “bogus felony prosecution” of Hearn, firing off a Tuesday letter to the U.S. attorney and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanding answers.
NEW: RM @RepRaskin investigates the Trump Administration’s bogus felony prosecution of three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn for Reflecting Pool damage DOJ now admits was caused by “contractor error”—not “vandalism.” pic.twitter.com/grNxsNbdwA
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) August 11, 2026
“How did this debacle happen? Why was Mr. Hearn charged with committing a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison when the government knew he was innocent?” Raskin wrote.
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