“These firings escalate the already dangerous culture of fear within the FBI. Analysts’ job is to look for potential threats and communicate them to leadership,” said Stacey Young, executive director of Justice Connection. “These terminations will only cause them to pull back on areas they fear are politically divisive, leading to blind spots in the threat picture and underinformed policymakers.”

“We will stand with any and all members of the FBI family who are terminated or persecuted for partisan reasons, and we will fight for any employee denied due process, or subjected to a sham internal investigation,” said Michael Feinberg, director of Justice Connection’s FBI Support Network. “Kash Patel promised, under oath, that there would be no political firings on his watch, and it’s time for him to learn what all agents and analysts already know: Oaths matter.”

This report was produced years ago, and the circumstances behind it have already been investigated by the FBI Inspection Division and the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.

Those apolitical and impartial reviews found no malicious intent or improper purpose behind the intelligence product. Areas for improvement were identified and the FBI made appropriate changes in response, but the report didn’t recommend terminating any of the personnel involved. This matter was reviewed, resolved and closed; these firings are based on nothing but partisan spite.

Firings like these are why Justice Connection launched the FBI Support Network. Our network provides legal, mental health, and employment support for employees caught in the crosshairs of this administration’s partisan agenda. Learn more about the FBI Support Network at https://www.thejusticeconnection.org/fbi-support-network/.

Below is a list of actions Blanche has taken as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General that harmed the department’s workforce, advanced the politicization of the department, undermined the rule of law, and threatened public safety. These are actions that have been publicly reported and may not be exhaustive.

As Deputy Attorney General, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, including personnel matters, the Criminal and National Security Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the Office of Immigration Review, federal law enforcement components like the FBI, and much more. As Acting Attorney General, he is responsible for the entire department.

A full account of the attacks on DOJ during Blanche’s leadership as Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General can be found in Justice Connection’s DOJ tracker.

Loyalty to President Trump

• Feb. 19, 2026: News breaks that a top aide to Deputy Attorney General Blanche told leaders of all 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices that President Trump is their “chief client.”
• April 11, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche tells NBC that Americans should be “happy” that President Trump is deeply involved in DOJ matters. Blanche also said that if the president nominates someone else to be Attorney General, he would answer, “thank you very much. I love you, sir.”
• April 27, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche signed a motion asking a federal judge to allow the White House ballroom construction to move forward. The filing mimics the writing style of President Trump, with accusations of “TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”
• May 11, 2026: News breaks that President Trump’s private complaints to Acting Attorney General Blanche about Iran War leaks led to aggressive DOJ investigations into reporters and leakers.
• May 14, 2026: CNN reports that Blanche was told in March 2025 that he would have to recuse himself from cases involving President Trump.
• May 19, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche signs an addendum expanding the Trump v. IRS settlement to bar the IRS from conducting tax audits of President Trump, his family, and his company for past tax returns.
• June 2, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche testifies before Congress that the Anti-Weaponization Fund will not move forward, but refuses to formalize the decision in writing. He also affirms the addendum providing President Trump, his family, and his company tax immunity.

Devastating DOJ’s Workforce

• March 25, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche issues a memo proposing the merger of ATF and DEA, and cutting staff in Criminal Division and National Security Division offices that handle foreign bribery, counter-intelligence, and export controls. It also proposes merging all grant offices into one, eliminating the Community Relations Service, spreading Tax Division attorneys across U.S. Attorney’s Offices, housing the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch in the Criminal Division, moving some cyber resources to the National Security Division, and merging all policy offices.
• April 5, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche puts Erez Reuveni on administrative leave over his representation of the government in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. Blanche writes in the letter that Reuveni failed to follow orders and committed “conduct prejudicial to your client.”
• April 7, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche announces that DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Unit will be disbanded.
• April 9, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche issues a memo barring DOJ employees from participating in American Bar Association events, saying the ABA engages in “activist causes.” A day later, DOJ cancels $3.2 million in grants to the ABA meant for training lawyers to represent victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
• April 15, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche issues a new policy threatening stiff penalties for employees who post anything related to work on social media.
• Feb. 12, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche fires Donald Kinsella hours after Kinsella was appointed to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York by a federal court. 
• Feb. 21, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche fires an attorney immediately after he was chosen by federal judges to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
• April 7, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche issues a memo shifting fraud attorneys from the Criminal Division to the newly-created Fraud Division, despite earlier assurances that those attorneys would remain in place.
• May 6, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche says DOJ will weed out immigration judges it feels are acting too slowly or “not applying the law in the way it needs to be applied.”
• April 11, 2026: DOJ issues its first report from the Weaponization Working Group accusing the Biden administration of biased prosecutions against violent anti-abortion activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE) Act. Acting Attorney General Blanche releases a statement saying, in part, “The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.” On the same day, DOJ fires several attorneys who prosecuted cases under the FACE Act during the Biden administration.

Political Prosecutions and Investigations

• Aug. 20, 2025: News breaks that Deputy Attorney General Blanche pressured U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Todd Gilbert to pursue an investigation into whether Biden administration officials had mishandled classified documents related to the 2016 Russia investigation. Career prosecutors did not think there was enough evidence to warrant criminal charges. Gilbert resigned after refusing orders from DOJ leadership to sideline those career officials.
• Sept. 16, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche calls for investigations into “organized” protests when protesters shouted at Trump during his dinner at a DC restaurant. 
• Sept. 25, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche’s office directs multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices to investigate George Soros’ Open Society Foundations with suggestions for a wide range of charges.
• Dec. 30, 2025: News breaks that top DOJ leaders, including Deputy Attorney General Blanche, pressured federal prosecutors in Nashville to bring criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The court later dismisses the case for vindictive prosecution, citing Blanche’s statements.
• April 18, 2026: DOJ hires and immediately installs Trump loyalist Joseph DiGenova to lead the investigation into John Brennan. The lead career prosecutor in Miami previously handling the case was removed after she expressed doubts about its validity.
  • • On June 2, 2026, DOJ hires Kurt Olsen, a White House official who helped President Trump try to overturn the 2020 election results, to join that same office as a senior attorney.
• April 21, 2026: DOJ indicts the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly defrauding donors by having a paid informant program. Acting Attorney General Blanche claims during a press conference announcing the indictment that the SPLC was “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.” The SPLC later says that federal law enforcement knew about and was aided by its paid informant program.
• April 28, 2026: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina indicts former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening the president by posting a photo of shells that spell out “86 47.” Acting Attorney General Blanche says at a press conference that “While this case is unique, and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate.”
• April 30, 2026: News breaks that ever since Blanche became Acting Attorney General, DOJ has been pursuing additional charges against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly leaking classified information.
• May 1, 2026: A whistleblower report alleges that an “enforcer” for Acting Attorney General Blanche ordered Alabama prosecutors to “rush through” the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, despite concerns about the strength of the case.

January 6

• Aug. 6, 2025: New footage shows a senior advisor in the Deputy Attorney General’s office, Jared Wise, encouraged rioters to “kill” officers during Jan. 6. Wise works on reviews of alleged “weaponization.”
• April 11, 2026: Under Acting Attorney General Blanche’s leadership, DOJ moves to vacate the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders for their role in Jan. 6. 
• May 18, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche establishes a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” that would compensate “victims” of “weaponization and lawfare” following a settlement with President Trump where Trump agreed to drop his lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. Blanche refuses to rule out payouts to Jan. 6 defendants who assaulted police. 
• May 22, 2026: Under Acting Attorney General Blanche’s leadership,DOJ deletes press releases about Jan. 6 defendants from its website and calls the press releases “partisan propaganda” on X.

Jeffery Epstein Files

• Late March, 2025: DOJ moves to publish Jeffrey Epstein files without fully redacting witness and victim details.
• May 2025: Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche tell President Trump that his name is in the Epstein files. 
  • • On July 18, news breaks that FBI officials were told to flag any mentions of President Trump in Jeffrey Epstein case files.
• July 24, 2025: News breaks that DOJ and FBI diverted hundreds of employees from their regular duties to review the Epstein files. The review process was led by the Deputy Attorney General’s office.
• July 24, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche interviews Ghislaine Maxwell over Jeffrey Epstein’s conduct and connections. Shortly after this interview, she is moved to a minimum-security prison where she receives special privileges.
• Dec. 31, 2025: DOJ seeks to enlist 400 lawyers from the Criminal Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s offices in Florida and New York for the DAG-led review of the Epstein files.
• Feb. 24: News breaks that DOJ withheld Epstein files that detailed allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, despite Deputy Attorney General Blanche telling Congress in a letter that no records were redacted or withheld “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”
• March 18, 2026: Sen. Ron Wyden says Deputy Attorney General Blanche blocked the release of a 2015 OCDETF memo that showed Jeffrey Epstein had been investigated for drug trafficking and prostitution.
• May 29, 2026: Pam Bondi says in an interview with a congressional committee that Deputy Attorney General Blanche led DOJ’s review and release of the Epstein files “from the beginning.”

Minnesota Enforcement

• Jan. 13, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche says there’s “no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation” into the shooting of Renee Good.
• Jan. 14, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche posts on X that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are “encouraging violence against law enforcement” and describing their actions as “terrorism.”
• Jan. 19, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche sends a civil rights unit to investigate a protest that disrupted church services in Minnesota. However, he declined to open a civil rights investigation into Renee Good’s killing. 
• Jan. 20, 2026: News breaks that the Deputy Attorney General’s office directed the FBI to investigate Minnesota officials’ campaign contributions.
• Jan. 23, 2026: News breaks that Deputy Attorney General Blanche directed the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to shut down a civil rights investigation into Renee Good’s death, and to instead investigate Good for potential assault.
• Jan. 30, 2026. Deputy Attorney General Blanche announces that DOJ will open a civil rights investigation into Alex Pretti’s death after first refusing. The investigation team was later found to exclude career attorneys who specialize in excessive force cases.

Defying the Courts 

• March 14, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche attends a meeting in which Emil Bove tells attorneys they may need to say “fuck you” to the courts if judges block immigrants from being removed from the U.S.
• Nov. 7, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche asks young conservative lawyers to join a “war” against the federal judiciary at a Federalist Society event.
• Feb. 10, 2026: News breaks that the Deputy Attorney General’s Office asked leaders of the 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices to send examples of perceived judicial activism for potential impeachment referrals. 

Miscellaneous

• May 25, 2025: News breaks that Blanche had talked with then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove about dropping the Eric Adams corruption charges before Blanche was in office, despite telling lawmakers at his confirmation hearing that he had no direct knowledge of the case. Blanche was reportedly on the “same page” as Bove.
• April 4, 2025: The Deputy Attorney General’s office directs the Justice Department’s Security and Emergency Planning Staff to dispatch two U.S. Marshals to Liz Oyer’s house to discourage her from appearing in Congress two days before her scheduled testimony. 
• May 19, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche issues a memo directing DOJ to use the False Claims Act to pressure institutions to abandon DEI efforts. 
• Sept. 20, 2025: DOJ shut down an investigation into border czar Tom Homan for allegedly accepting a $50,000 bribe, with Deputy Attorney General Blanche saying, “The Department’s resources must remain focused on real threats to the American people, not baseless investigations. As a result, the investigation has been closed.”
• Dec. 4, 2025: Deputy Attorney General Blanche tells white collar lawyers to stop criticizing DOJ if they want a good deal for their clients.
• Dec. 22, 2025: News breaks that Deputy Attorney General Blanche held crypto assets while directing the department to stop enforcement against crypto companies, in violation of ethics guidance.
• Feb. 12, 2026: Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Antitrust Division leaves DOJ after months of clashing with Deputy Attorney General Blanche, including disagreements over the HPE/Juniper merger.
• Feb. 18, 2026: News breaks that aides of Deputy Attorney General Blanche are part of a DHS working group to investigate voter rolls in search of noncitizens. 
• March 2, 2026: Deputy Attorney General Blanche rescinds the department’s policy against no-knock warrants in most cases.
• April 7, 2026: Acting Attorney General Blanche says that DOJ is providing legal counsel to the White House on military strikes in Iran.
• April 24, 2026: DOJ announces it will permit executions by firing squad and pentobarbital. The Biden Administration had removed pentobarbital from approved methods following concerns of unnecessary pain. Acting Attorney General Blanche says in a statement that “The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals.”
• April 29, 2026: DOJ rolls back more than 30 firearms regulations, including a rule that had closed the gun show loophole. Acting Attorney General Blanche calls it the “most comprehensive regulatory reform package in the history” of ATF.
• April 30, 2026: DOJ issues a new report accusing the Biden administration of anti-Christian bias. In a statement announcing the report, Acting Attorney General Blanche says DOJ will “continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians.”
• May 6, 2026: The Bureau of Prisons changes its policy to allow the Attorney General to transfer prisoners or designate their place of imprisonment.
• May 8, 2026: DOJ announces a major increase in denaturalization efforts. Acting Attorney General Blanche told CBS that he believes there are “a lot of individuals who are citizens who shouldn’t be.”
• June 8, 2026: News breaks that Todd Blanche’s office shut down an investigation into coal companies owned by Republican Senator Jim Justice for violations of the Clean Water Act.
• June 9, 2026: DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel issues an opinion finding that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission violated federal civil rights law by using the disparate impact theory of discrimination. Acting Attorney General Blanche said in a statement that, “Despite trying to promote equality, EEOC’s disparate impact liability interpretation under Title VII actually fosters the very discrimination its guidelines seek to address.”

“Todd Blanche has never stopped acting as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer. He has used his high position at the department to enter into a corrupt deal with the President and his family, advance vindictive prosecutions, illegally fire career employees, smear whistleblowers, and attack the judiciary.

“Blanche has abandoned what he learned about blind justice and ethical law enforcement as a career federal prosecutor. His unwavering fealty to the President and destruction of institutional norms should disqualify him from leading the only agency with its foundational virtue in its name.

“A vote to confirm him as Attorney General represents a rejection of the rule of law.”

The FBI workforce is under attack like never before. This administration is firing and intimidating special agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff for blatantly partisan reasons. Political leaders are weaponizing the FBI’s authority to carry out the President’s retribution campaign, while abandoning much of the Bureau’s work that keeps us safe and protects our rights.

Our former colleagues are getting caught in the crosshairs.

That’s why Justice Connection launched the FBI Support Network. The network builds on Justice Connection’s existing resources and extensive alumni network, adding to it an army of former FBI officials who want to assist those inside.

Those alumni will:

• Help current FBI employees draw their red lines.

• Connect them with free legal representation by former DOJ attorneys recently trained in how to navigate the FBI’s unique and complicated internal disciplinary system.

• Provide them with emotional support at a time they’re being asked to violate their oath and core values – including by connecting them with mental health clinicians who’ve agreed to counsel them.

• Pair them with former FBI officials who are eager to help current employees find new jobs when necessary. FBI personnel develop specialized skills that don’t always translate easily to the private sector; help from those who’ve successfully made the transition can be invaluable.

We’ll also do what FBI employees can’t do from the inside: speak out. We’ve provided media training to our press surrogates, all FBI veterans. They’re ready to push back against the administration’s attacks on the FBI and its workforce, and raise awareness about the importance of the Bureau’s mission-critical work. Our press team will work with any other FBI alumni who want to share their stories, and defend their colleagues and the institution.

“It’s time for those of us who also once carried credentials, badges, and sidearms alongside our FBI colleagues to offer tangible assistance when they are faced with the choice between an order and what they know is just, and to help them when they have to weather the consequences of upholding their oaths,” said Michael Feinberg, former Assistant Special Agent in Charge, who will lead the FBI Support Network.

The network is supported by an advisory committee that includes former high-ranking officials and those who served in critical roles on the line. They worked at headquarters and in field offices throughout the country, and collectively bring hundreds of years of experience to this effort. Current FBI employees reaching out to us will find members of the FBI family they recognize and trust.

“There are thousands of good people in the FBI who wake up every day committed to doing what’s right,” said Stacey Young, executive director and founder of Justice Connection. “They’re suffering because of an unprecedented failure of political leadership, and they need to know they have support from people they trust.”

Learn more about the FBI Support Network at https://www.thejusticeconnection.org/fbi-support-network/.

If you are a current or recent FBI employee seeking help, or an FBI alum interested in joining the network and helping former colleagues, please email us at ProtectAndAssist@protonmail.com.

A projection on the DOJ headquarters building that reads, “A government of laws, not of men – John Adams”

“This so-called settlement solidifies the near complete control one man has over the Justice Department,” said Stacey Young, executive director and founder of Justice Connection. “By using DOJ to protect the President, punish his enemies and reward his friends – this time with cash taken from taxpayers – the administration has shifted the country away from a system of laws and toward an era of lawlessness. At the President’s direction, Justice Department leadership fired prosecutors who held rioters accountable, and will select the commissioners who will reward those rioters with cash payments.”

The projection was displayed over a banner hung by Justice Department leadership featuring an image of Donald Trump, a visible reminder to those working in the building of who currently controls their tremendous prosecutorial power. Photos and videos of the projection can be found in this folder.

The “Anti-Weaponization Fund” fits a pattern of corruption that is eroding the Justice Department’s integrity and Americans’ faith in the rule of law. The loss of the department’s commitment to the rule of law has emerged in several profound ways:

Creating a Two-Tiered System of Justice: Our justice system fails when the President dictates prosecutorial decisions. When the President determines who is investigated or prosecuted, he can use the department to treat his political allies favorably while punishing his perceived enemies. When the public fears they could be targeted for opposing the President, or conversely believes they can break the law with impunity, the rule of law is rendered hollow.

Destroying the Separation of Powers: The Constitution clearly gives power to Congress to pass laws, and tasks the executive branch with neutrally enforcing them. However, by declaring himself the “chief law enforcement officer” and using the DOJ to aggressively advance Executive Orders that contradict statutory text, the President overrides laws passed by Congress. This usurpation of legislative authority fundamentally breaks the separation of powers that underpins our legal system.

Evaporating Judicial and Public Trust: Historically, the Justice Department’s integrity earned it a “presumption of regularity,” meaning judges and juries trusted that federal prosecutors were acting in good faith. Because DOJ leadership has repeatedly advanced political agendas, violated court orders, and forced career attorneys to make baseless arguments, this hard-earned credibility has vanished. Judges now scrutinize the department with intense skepticism, and grand juries across the country refuse to indict cases brought by the government. When the public and the courts cannot trust the nation’s top law enforcement agency to tell the truth, the department becomes incapable of effectively enforcing the law, which ultimately threatens public safety.

“This case is a clear example of why Justice Department lawyers take an oath to serve the Constitution, not the White House.  This department’s leadership is intent on abusing its power to curry favor with the President and execute his retribution campaign. The ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ fits a pattern of corruption that is eroding DOJ’s integrity and Americans’ faith in the rule of law.”

“DOJ leaders have made no secret of their intention to investigate and prosecute organizations for expressing disfavored views. Groups have been targeted for being perceived as anti-American or anti-Christian – terms so broad that the administration can choose targets and work backward to find alleged crimes.

“The Justice Department’s mission is to uphold the rule of law, keep the country safe, and protect civil rights. At Justice Connection, we will continue to speak out in defense of that mission and DOJ’s role in ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.”

“DOJ’s current leaders’ textbook cruelty and hypocrisy are on full display in this report. They insist on zealous advocacy by career staff in advancing the President’s priorities, while shaming and firing those who did just that in the prior administration. They’ve put career employees on notice: if they do their jobs, they face potential termination if future political leadership disagrees with the policy goals of prior leadership.”

Enforcement priorities shift from administration to administration. Career staff at the Justice Department understand this and adjust their approach based on the new policies and procedures issued by new leaders.The report released today exhibits how that shift is executed – career staff worked within the law to comply with an enforcement priority of the Attorney General.

Since the FACE Act was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed into law in 1994, career prosecutors have enforced the law’s provisions that promote safe access to reproductive health services. The constitutionality of that part of the law has been upheld consistently by the federal judiciary.

Under every administration, career attorneys have taken seriously their responsibility to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States. This administration, however, officially declared Justice Department attorneys are the President’s lawyers, and that he is their chief client. They have been instructed to ignore court orders, misrepresent facts, and make arguments with no basis in the law.

That desire to push the boundaries of the law has extended to this administration’s use of the FACE Act. For decades, career prosecutors at the Justice Department have intentionally not enforced the statute’s religious-worship provision because of significant constitutional and legal risks. These risks are explained in a Justice Connection Substack post following the department’s decision to charge Don Lemon and several others under this part of the FACE Act.

Justice Connection remains committed to standing up for DOJ’s career workforce and ensuring they have the support to carry out their important role in upholding the rule of law.

“Pam Bondi took a sledgehammer to the Justice Department and its workforce. DOJ’s independence, integrity, and workforce have degraded more under her leadership than at any other time during the department’s 155-year history. What she destroyed in a year could take decades to rebuild. But we have a President who fired her because she didn’t go far enough. Replacing her with a more competent Attorney General who – like her – believes their sole client is the President and not the country may just make things worse. We need the Senate to exercise its constitutional check to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

Bondi has overseen a massive purge of the Justice Department’s apolitical career workforce, resulting in the departure of nearly 16,000 employees and the loss of decades of institutional knowledge.

On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a “zealous advocacy” memo that officially declared Justice Department attorneys are the President’s lawyers – explicitly subverting the Justice Department’s traditional duty to impartially enforce federal laws and uphold the Constitution. The memo threatened that any attorney who refuses to advance the administration’s good-faith arguments due to personal political views will face discipline or potential termination. She has made good on that promise, firing almost 270 employees, often without cause and in violation of civil service laws.

Under Bondi, the Justice Department’s prosecutorial powers have been overtly used to protect the President’s allies and punish his perceived enemies.

Because of her willingness to ignore court orders, misrepresent facts, and make arguments with no basis in the law, Justice Department lawyers have lost their “presumption of regularity” with the courts. Judges no longer believe the department is operating in good faith and telling the truth. This loss of credibility extends to the public as well, with grand juries across the country increasingly refusing to indict cases brought by the Justice Department.

On March 5, the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed a new regulation formalizing a process in place since the late 1970s and boldly asserting unspecified federal authority over the timing of state bar investigations.

Advisory Board members Jennifer Ricketts and Rupa Bhattacharyya explain in a Substack post why the Justice Department’s new rule does nothing to ensure even-handed accountability for department attorneys. Instead, they argue, it risks undermining independent oversight at a moment when public trust in the department’s willingness to police its own lawyers has already been badly eroded.

The proposed rule creates far more problems than it claims to solve, and it puts DOJ career attorneys directly in the crosshairs. Department attorneys wield tremendous power over Americans’ lives and interests, and alumni best understand the reasons why proper accountability mechanisms must be maintained.

Justice Connection is encouraging all department alumni to submit a comment by April 6, 2026, urging the Department to reject this proposed new rule.