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Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner Referred to DOJ for Criminal Investigation

5 sources · updated 2026-09-18
Left 0% Center 0% Right 100%
0 left · 0 center · 3 right

What happened

On or about September 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond disqualified Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Conviction Integrity Unit supervisor Matthew Stiegler from a federal habeas corpus matter involving Dennis Johnson, who was convicted in 2009 of the murder of Kenyatta Smith. Diamond also referred Krasner and Stiegler to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, stating there was credible evidence they may have made false statements or declarations under oath, committed perjury, obstructed justice, or engaged in conspiracy. The dispute centers on a 2022 concession brief in which Krasner’s office did not oppose habeas relief for Johnson; the office moved in June 2026 to withdraw that brief, citing “material misstatements.” Diamond found that Stiegler had already decided to concede without independent review of the trial record and assigned the filing to an inexperienced assistant, Jaclyn Mason. Krasner said he vigorously disagrees with the findings and intends to appeal.
Sourcing check · Fully on the record · 3 articles

3 of 3 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report. Larry Krasner denied part of it on the record.

What these terms mean and how they're counted
On the record · names a source 3 of 3
On the record means the article cites a source by name for the story's main claim: a person, or an institution speaking officially, such as a company statement or a named agency's spokesperson. The opposite is an unnamed source. The count is how many of the counted articles cite at least one such source; the names are everyone named across them, each once however the articles spell it. Here: Judge Paul Diamond and Paul Diamond
Primary evidence · cites a document or data 3 of 3
Primary evidence means the article cites a record you could check yourself: a court filing or ruling, a dataset or report, a recording or transcript, an official statement or press release, market data. A quote is not a document. The count is how many articles cite one. Here: court memorandum, court ruling, court filing
Credits another outlet 0 of 3
The article says the story comes from another outlet's reporting (“first reported by Reuters”). Those articles relay the story; they are not independent confirmation. Here: Each article presents its own reporting.
Unnamed sources 0 of 3
The main claim is attributed to people who are not identified: “people familiar with the matter”, “officials said”. The count is how many articles do this.
On-record denial 1
A named person or institution says the claim, or part of it, is not true. It is on the record — someone signed their name to it — but it is not confirmation, so it never counts toward On the record. Criticizing or dissenting from a decision is not a denial. The count is how many people or institutions deny it; each is listed with the first article that carried the denial. Here: Larry Krasner (Breitbart, Sep 17, 17:56 UTC)
How it developed
When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Sep 16, 19:10 UTC by The Federalist, naming its source. First document in the first report, from The Federalist (court memorandum).
Not counted 0
Opinion, analysis and video pieces, and articles too short to assess. Every count above is out of the counted articles. An article republished under a new headline is one article.
This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
ONE-SIDED THIS WEEK. Only right-leaning outlets have covered this story in the last two days; NBC News reported it on 2026-09-15.
Omitted — what each side leaves out

Unpacked

Left-leaning coverage has not reported this story at all. Right-leaning coverage reports that U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond referred Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and aide Matthew Stiegler to federal prosecutors after finding possible perjury and obstruction in the habeas case of convicted murderer Dennis Johnson. Coverage on the right quotes Diamond saying the city's top prosecutor "may have violated the law." They describe a concession filing that the office later withdrew as inaccurate. A reader of the silent side would not know the DA was disqualified from that case and referred for a criminal investigation. Right-leaning coverage also leads with the donor, not the alleged perjury. Headlines at Daily Wire and Daily Caller both put Soros in the title. The findings of possible perjury and the scapegoating of a junior prosecutor sit below that frame. Has the U.S. Attorney opened the investigation Judge Diamond requested?
Bottom line

A federal judge has referred Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner to the Justice Department for possible perjury in a murderer's habeas case, a ruling Daily Wire has and left-leaning outlets have not.

The receipts — 4 facts one side's coverage lacks
  • The 2022 concession treated a key witness identification as hearsay, though trial transcripts showed the witness had visually identified Johnson after knowing him for years individual casein Daily Caller · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Krasner received more than $1.7 million in Soros-linked money during his 2017 campaign numberin Daily Wire · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Krasner said he respectfully and vigorously disagrees with the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law and looks forward to appealing official statementin Daily Wire, The Federalist · absent from left-leaning coverage
  • Staff testified that Krasner called the state attorney general's office Nazis and said his office needed someone in the room to control the proceedings official statementin Daily Wire, The Federalist · absent from left-leaning coverage
The Right View
Right-leaning outlets report that Judge Diamond issued a lengthy memorandum accusing Krasner and Stiegler of possible criminal wrongdoing in trying to free a convicted murderer, then referring them to DOJ. They emphasize Stiegler’s testimony as contradictory, evasive, or dishonest; that he partnered with Johnson’s counsel and the Innocence Project and assigned Mason because she would not question him; and that Krasner and Stiegler later tried to scapegoat Mason. Coverage repeatedly identifies Krasner as Soros-backed (about $1.7–$1.9 million), notes staff testimony that he called the Republican state attorney general’s office “Nazis,” and ties the episode to his broader soft-on-crime record. Krasner’s denial and planned appeal are included, along with unrelated past comments about ICE and the White House ballroom.
Our Take (balanced)
The story is substantive: it rests on a named federal judge, a detailed written order and memorandum, named prosecutors, a specific 2009 murder conviction, a 2022 filing, a 2026 withdrawal, and sworn testimony—not a single uncorroborated leak. Established facts are the disqualification of Krasner and Stiegler from this case and the referral to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Criminal violations remain alleged; Diamond described possible perjury, obstruction, and conspiracy, not proven charges or convictions. Krasner disputes the findings. No left-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for the written order and memorandum becoming fully public, whether the U.S. Attorney opens an investigation, Krasner’s appeal, and any response from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

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