Rep.Mike Levin (D-California) publicly criticized the Trump administration after reports emerged that the U.S.Department of Justice ended a federal criminal investigation into coal companies owned by Sen.Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and managed largely by his son, Jay Justice.

According to reporting cited by Levin, the investigation involved the Environmental Protection Agency, the DOJ's Environmental Crimes Section, and the U.S.Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia.

Authorities had been examining whether repeated pollution violations committed by Justice-affiliated mining operations constituted criminal violations of the Clean Water Act.The companies were reported to have accumulated tens of thousands of alleged environmental violations over the past decade.Prosecutors reportedly believed they had a strong case and had initially received approval to proceed.However, officials in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General allegedly ordered the investigation to stop.Sources familiar with the matter told reporters that investigators were instructed to halt their work.

Levin argued that the decision reflects a broader pattern of preferential treatment for political allies of President Donald Trump and specifically criticized Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney and acting attorney general, who is awaiting Senate confirmation for the position permanently.Levin stated that equal enforcement of the law should apply to everyone regardless of political connections.

The report also linked the decision to broader changes in environmental enforcement priorities under the Trump administration, including the reassignment of environmental attorneys and reduced pursuit of certain environmental cases.The allegations have intensified debate over political influence within federal law enforcement and environmental regulation.