'Seasoned litigators' are abandoning Trump’s DOJ in droves: report
Newsweek reports nearly two-thirds of the U.S. Justice Department unit responsible for defending White House policies in court have dumped their jobs.
Nearly 70 of the approximately 110 lawyers occupying the Federal Programs Branch have either already departed the division or have signaled plans to leave. Reuters, which first reported the list, said it had verified the departure of all but four attorneys.
Sources tell reporters the rate of turnover in the Federal Programs Branch are outpacing that of President Donald Trump’s first administration. Worse, Newsweek reports the brain drain appears to be affecting experienced veterans of the unit.
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“At least 10 out of 23 supervisors have departed, many of them seasoned litigators who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations,” Reuters reported.
A justice department spokesperson told Newsweek the department is “hiring to replace those who have left.”
Meanwhile, anonymous sources comprising current and former DOJ officials blamed exhaustion and an overwhelming caseload for their exodus. Newsweek reports they also placed blame on “demoralization over the nature of the arguments required to defend Trump administration policies, and concerns over ethical obligations as the main reasons”.
Additionally, three lawyers told Reuters they experienced fear of being pressured “to misrepresent facts or legal questions in court,” which could amount to a violation of attorney ethics rules that invite professional sanctions. More extreme offenses could also culminate in the removal of an attorney’s law license.
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The White House insisted to reporters that the president's behavior within legal bounds.
"Any sanctimonious career bureaucrat expressing faux outrage over the President's policies while sitting idly by during the rank weaponization by the previous administration has no grounds to stand on," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields in a statement to Reuters.
Critics accuse U.S. Attorney General pick Pam Bondi of being highly political. One of her fist acts as AG was ordering reviews of criminal cases brought against Trump.
Read the full Newsweek report at this link.
