"The Department of Justice is conducting an unprecedented investigation into the political activities of one of the two major parties," said Michael Columbo, a lawyer representing some of the individuals being investigated by the department. "It is zealously including in its expansive dragnet people that range from top government officials, campaign staff, party officials, and attorneys to ordinary citizens. Moreover, it is scrutinizing a range of actions that run from objective acts of violence or vandalism to an individual's subjective political beliefs at the time they engaged in political speech."