Soros-Backed Philly DA Referred to DOJ Over Murder Case
Left says
- •The judge's referral involves serious but unproven allegations, and neither Krasner nor Stiegler has been charged with any crime.
- •Conviction Integrity Units exist specifically to review potentially flawed convictions, and Krasner's office maintains it acted to correct what it saw as ineffective legal representation for the defendant.
- •Krasner has publicly and firmly disputed the judge's findings of fact and law, and intends to appeal the ruling to a higher court before any conclusions are treated as settled.
- •Krasner's broader career as a civil rights attorney and reform-minded prosecutor has long drawn political attacks from opponents of criminal justice reform, and this referral fits a pattern of scrutiny directed at his office.
Right says
- •A federal judge concluded there is evidence Krasner and his deputy pressured prosecutors to present a false narrative to the court, which the judge said could amount to criminal conspiracy.
- •The judge cited evidence that Krasner warned staff of 'consequences' if they alerted the court to an internal conflict, raising concerns about intimidation within his own office.
- •Krasner's office pushed back against career prosecutors who wanted the case referred to the Pennsylvania Attorney General due to a conflict, with Krasner insisting his office stay involved to 'protect the office.'
- •Krasner's Soros-funded rise to office and history of lenient prosecutorial policies make this referral part of a broader pattern critics say reflects poor judgment and prioritizing ideology over rule of law.
Common Take
High Consensus- U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond Jr. referred Larry Krasner and deputy Matthew Stiegler to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible investigation into obstruction of justice, perjury, false statements, and conspiracy.
- The case centers on Dennis Johnson, convicted in 2009 of second-degree murder, whose conviction Krasner's office sought to overturn through its Conviction Integrity Unit.
- Diamond disqualified Krasner and Stiegler from further involvement in the case but did not disqualify the entire DA's office.
- Krasner has denied wrongdoing, disputes the judge's findings, and plans to appeal the decision to a higher court.
The Arguments
Right argues
A federal judge, after reviewing the record, found evidence that Krasner and his deputy pressured career prosecutors to present a false narrative to the court and warned of 'consequences' for staff who flagged internal conflicts — conduct the judge said could constitute obstruction, perjury, and criminal conspiracy.
Left counters
These are allegations from a single judge's memorandum, not findings by a jury or an indictment; Krasner disputes both the facts and the law and intends to appeal, so no wrongdoing has been established.
Left argues
Krasner's office maintains it was acting through its Conviction Integrity Unit — a legitimate mechanism that exists precisely to correct wrongful convictions — and believed the original defense representation was constitutionally deficient.
Right counters
The judge's findings suggest this wasn't a good-faith integrity review gone wrong, but an effort to override career prosecutors who wanted to refer the conflict to the state Attorney General, with Krasner insisting his office 'protect the office' instead — behavior inconsistent with disinterested review of a wrongful conviction claim.
Right argues
The judge specifically noted that career prosecutors in Krasner's own office raised red flags and sought to have the case handed to the state AG due to a conflict, and Krasner overruled them — suggesting internal dissent within his office corroborates the judge's concerns rather than reflecting mere political animus.
Left counters
Internal disagreement among prosecutors about how to handle a conflict is common and doesn't by itself prove criminal intent; disputes over legal strategy and jurisdiction are routine in complex post-conviction litigation and can be litigated without criminal referral.
Left argues
Krasner's career-long record as a reform prosecutor and civil rights attorney has made him a persistent target of politically motivated attacks from opponents of criminal justice reform, and this referral fits that broader pattern of scrutiny.
Right counters
The referral didn't originate from a political opponent or media critic but from a sitting federal judge who reviewed sworn evidence and reluctantly concluded a criminal referral was warranted — a very different threshold than partisan criticism.
Right argues
Krasner's Soros-funded rise to office and history of lenient charging policies provide important context for why a federal judge's finding of potential obstruction and witness intimidation within his own office fits a broader pattern of prioritizing ideological goals over prosecutorial integrity.
Left counters
Tying this specific legal dispute to Krasner's funding sources or general policy philosophy is a guilt-by-association argument that has nothing to do with whether the specific allegations in this case are true, and risks prejudging an unresolved legal matter based on politics rather than evidence.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If Krasner's office genuinely believed it was correcting a wrongful conviction through legitimate means, why did he allegedly overrule career prosecutors who wanted to refer the conflict to the state Attorney General and instead insist his office 'protect the office'?”
Left asks Right
“If the core concern is prosecutorial overreach and abuse of power, does emphasizing Krasner's Soros funding and past policy positions — rather than the specific evidentiary findings — risk turning a legal question into a partisan narrative before any charges have even been filed?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Progressive criminal justice reform advocates and groups like Working Families Party or Krasner allies (e.g., some ACLU-aligned figures) who view this as political targeting of reform prosecutors; likely represents 15-20% of the left.
Right Fringe
Commentators like those at RedState and Blaze Media who frame this as definitive proof of Soros-funded corruption and call for immediate prosecution before any DOJ investigation concludes; represents roughly 25-30% of the right, with mainstream conservatives more cautious pending charges.
Noise Assessment
High noise ratio - much of the right-wing coverage leans heavily into 'Soros-backed' framing as a rhetorical cudgel rather than neutral reporting, while left-leaning outlets underreport or soften the judge's specific findings; actual public sentiment likely falls between the extremes, driven by general distrust of any official accused of obstruction regardless of ideology.
Sources (8)
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/federal-judge-says-soros-backed-district-attorney-may-have-committed-obstruction-of-justice-and-refers-him-to-the-feds.jpg?id=67778265&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner vehemently <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-requests-federal-probe-philly-da-larry-krasner-rcna598021" target="_blank">objected</a> to a federal judge referring him for criminal investigation over his efforts to overturn a conviction.</p><p>U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond Jr. said Krasner might have committed obstruction of justice and other crimes in his handling of a post-conviction.</p><p class="pull-quote">'I refer the DAO, Mr. Krasner, and [his deputy Matthew] Stiegler to this District’s United States Attorney’s Office for investigation and other appropriate action.'</p><p>Krasner has backed a man seeking to overturn his second-degree murder conviction through the DA's Conviction Integrity Unit. Prosecutors say the case was badly botched.</p><p>Diamond said that Krasner may have forced prosecutors to accept a false narrative</p><p>"I have thus reluctantly concluded that Philadelphia’s highest law enforcement official and one of his top assistants may have violated the law," said Judge Diamond in the memo. "In these circumstances, with the issuance of this Memorandum, I refer the DAO, Mr. Krasner, and [his deputy Matthew] Stiegler to this District’s United States Attorney’s Office for investigation and other appropriate action."</p><p>Krasner fired back and said he would appeal the decision.</p><p>"I respectfully and vigorously disagree with the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law," read a statement from the DA.</p><p>“I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows," he added. "This remains a pending matter, which limits for now my and my office’s ability to respond in the media.”</p><p>Krasner was first elected through a massive campaign donation by left-wing millionaire George Soros. He has been heavily <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/soros-krasner-ice-nazis-backlash" target="_blank">criticized</a> for his lax law enforcement policies.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/soros-ballroom-wh-trump-pain" target="_blank"><strong>Soros-backed DA vows to 'blow up' White House ballroom, calls Trump a 'pain in the a**'</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p><p>Krasner and Stiegler were ordered off of the case.</p><p>NBC reported that a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania did not return a request for comment.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
A federal judge referred Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and a top deputy Tuesday to the DOJ over possible perjury and false statements.
U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond Jr. also disqualified Krasner and one of his deputies from handling the case, which was related to a man seeking to overturn his second-degree murder conviction.
A federal judge said Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner may have committed crimes in his handling of a post-conviction case.
A federal judge on Tuesday referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and one of his top prosecutors to the Department of Justice for investigation, saying evidence uncovered in a murder case may constitute perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is unlikely to make the one big change fans are already clamoring for.
A federal judge referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner on Tuesday to the U.S. attorney's office for possible prosecution, saying he appeared to have misled the court over a case where he's trying to free a murder convict.