Biden DOJ Senior Prosecutor Hit with Criminal Referral Amid ‘Troubling if True’ Allegations
A recent report indicates that Jina Choi, a senior prosecutor who joined the Department of Justice during the Biden governance, is now under a criminal referral related to a possible involvement in a fraud examination. Choi previously represented IRL, a social media startup associated with Abraham Shafi, who was later indicted for federal fraud. Shafi claims that Choi was involved in his prosecution, even though official sources deny this. The referral suggests choi may have communicated with federal agents about the case and maintained a case tracker that listed Shafi’s investigation, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.While Choi has stated she had no role in the investigation, the authorities mention she tried to protect her client’s company. The DOJ is not obliged to act on the referral, and Choi now practices privately in San Francisco. The case highlights concerns about conflicts within the DOJ and the rare occurrence of such criminal referrals by defense teams.
A new report says a senior prosecutor who joined the Department of Justice during the Biden era is now the subject of a criminal referral.
The report on Fox News questions whether Jina Choi, who joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California in 2023, was part of a fraud investigation into a company she formerly represented.
Choi at one time represented IRL, a social media startup in which Abraham Shafi, later indicted on federal fraud charges, was a co-founder.
Shafi is now claiming that Choi was involved in his prosecution, even though Justice Department officials say she was not.
At the time of the investigation, Choi led the office’s Corporate and Securities Fraud Section.
If Shafi could prove federal officials failed to conduct themselves properly, the case against him could collapse.
But the damage to the U.S. Attorney’s office could be wider than that, according to Heritage Foundation legal fellow and former federal prosecutor Cully Stimson.
“Here, the defense’s allegations are troubling if true, because if their allegations end up being true, there was spillage,” Stimson said.
“And that would mean some other members of that office are therefore conflicted, and it could result in the entire office being conflicted if a judge found that the taint was so bad that it permeated the whole office,” Stimson added.
Stimson, the acting director of the Heritage Foundation’s Legal Policy Center, said a criminal referral from a defense team is rare.
Shafi’s defense said it has s showing Choi communicated with federal agents about the case, which would contradict her claims that she did not do so.
Shafi claimed that Choi, while representing his company, tried to get agents to target him and not other stakeholders.
The government said she tried to shield the company as a whole from prosecution.
The FBI interviewed Choi in July, according to the referral, and said then that she had no role in the investigation.
However, the referral cites other instances when it said she was involved with assigning personnel to the case.
The referral said Choi “admitted keeping a written case tracker on which ‘the SHAFI investigation was listed.’”
The DOJ is under no obligation to act upon the referral.
Choi is now in a private practice in the San Francisco area.
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