Charles Fain Lehman says the referral is the next step for an office "committed to misleading the courts"
Charles Fain LehmanSenior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, writing a signed article in City Journal
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Charles Fain Lehman wrote in City Journal that Krasner has already been reprimanded by another federal judge and seen his conviction-integrity unit constrained by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and that a criminal referral would be the next logical step for an office that seems committed to misleading the courts in the name of its theory of justice.
“The criminal referral would be the next logical step for an office that seems committed to misleading the courts in the name of its theory of justice.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Did Larry Krasner Pressure Staff to Mislead a Federal Judge About a Murder-Conviction Appeal?
A federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Matthew Stiegler, chief of his office's Conviction Integrity Unit, may have pressured subordinate prosecutors to blame a departed colleague and present a false account to the court about an internal dispute over a 2022 concession in a habeas corpus case, and referred Krasner, Stiegler, and the District Attorney's Office to the U.S. Attorney's Office for investigation. Krasner disputes the judge's findings and says he will appeal.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Signed opinion article in City Journal, adapted from the magazine's Substack. It summarizes Judge Diamond's referral and compares Krasner with other progressive prosecutors who have faced federal scrutiny.
Before the quotation
The article, adapted from City Journal's Substack, appeared two days after Judge Diamond referred Krasner, Stiegler and the District Attorney's Office to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
After the quotation
The article goes on to list other progressive prosecutors who have drawn federal scrutiny, including Marilyn Mosby, Kim Gardner and Rachael Rollins.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Lehman describes the referral as the next step for an office he says seems committed to misleading the courts, which is his own evaluation of the conduct at issue. The closest competing label is “Mixed or conditional”, because he notes it is unclear whether the U.S. Attorney will act. That loses because the uncertainty concerns the prosecutors' decision, not his assessment of Krasner's conduct.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Larry Krasner
More from this case
Read the full caseThe Inquirer editorial board says Krasner must decide whether he can govern under "the giant cloud he has created"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Then Krasner needs to look in the mirror and determine if he can continue to run the district attorney's office under the giant cloud he has created.”Read statement
Cully Stimson says a federal investigation of Krasner should be "an easy call"
“It will now be up to the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to decide whether to conduct an investigation. Given Krasner’s track record and the judge’s findings of fact and conclusions of law, it should be an easy call.”Read statement
Broad + Liberty editors call the alleged conduct "misconduct worthy of disbarment and removal from office"
Broad + Liberty
“If even half of it is true, it is misconduct worthy of disbarment and removal from office.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Charles Fain Lehman says the referral is the next step for an office "committed to misleading the courts"
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/1363-manhattan-institute-senior-fellow-charles-fain-lehman-wrote
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Charles Fain Lehman says the referral is the next step for an office "committed to misleading the courts"". First published: 2026-09-21. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1363-manhattan-institute-senior-fellow-charles-fain-lehman-wrote