February 10, 2025
Attorney General Bondi fires Capitol riot prosecutors after 54-46 confirmation
Justice Department resources allegedly used to target political opponents
📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice
Attorney General Pam Bondi, confirmed 54-46 February 2025, fired prosecutors handling Capitol riot cases, pushed out senior FBI officials, and ordered DOJ to dismiss corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams while curtailing Public Integrity Section anti-corruption efforts as "not a priority."
On February 10, 2025, Pam Bondi pledged at her swearing-in ceremony that she would “make you proud” (referring to former President Trump) and “make this country proud,” signaling personal loyalty to Trump over Justice Department independence (19th News).
NBC News reported that under Bondi’s leadership the Department of Justice has been operating “dramatically at odds with how it has been run in the 50 years since Attorney General John Mitchell was sent to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal,” marking an unprecedented break from modern precedent.
Bondi’s decision to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams prompted “the largest wave of resignations by career prosecutors since Watergate,” according to NBC News, underscoring widespread career-staff dissent.
📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice
People, bills, and sources
Pam Bondi (Attorney General)
pledged personal loyalty to President Trump at her confirmation, ordered dismissal of the Eric Adams corruption case to facilitate immigration-enforcement assistance, and openly promised to fire DOJ civil servants who “despise” Trump (19th News; NBC News).
Liz Oyer (former DOJ pardon attorney)
said that the Justice Department “is being transformed into Donald Trump’s personal law firm” with “directions coming from the very top, from the president” (NPR).
James McHenry (Acting Attorney General)
fired roughly a dozen Justice Department employees who worked for Special Counsel Jack Smith because he “did not believe these officials could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda” (CBS News).
What You Can Do
1
If you are a DOJ civil servant facing or witnessing political retaliation, file a Prohibited Personnel Practice complaint under 5 U.S.C. § 2302 with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel at https://osc.gov, using Form OSC-11 to report threatened or actual dismissal based on political views.
2
Entities that receive federal funds should download and review DOJ Civil Rights Division guidance on DEI and DEIA at https://www.justice.gov/crt to assess compliance and prepare for potential investigations or policy enforcement.
3
To track shifts in DOJ legal positions, retrieve and review federal court filings on PACER (https://pacer.uscourts.gov) for cases filed after February 10, 2025, noting any changes in argumentation that may reflect political directives.