New Lawsuit Questions Authorization of Federal Prosecutors (1)

A pair of federal prosecutors in Florida weren’t properly authorized to pursue a 2014 conviction, according to a new lawsuit.

Michael Rivers asked a federal trial judge in Washington on Friday to award him over $51 million in damages over the alleged unauthorized prosecution for wire fraud and other related federal charges. Rivers pleaded guilty, but later unsuccessfully sought to undo that plea.

In Rivers’ latest effort to fight his conviction, the suit says AUSAs must have “express authorization” from the attorney general to represent the US. That authorization “must be in writing on a specially designated form” and it ...