Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi fired off a sequence of memos late Wednesday pledging to “root out corruption” amongst Division of Justice (DOJ) employees and threatening termination for anybody discovered to have fallen brief in advocacy for President Trump’s insurance policies as “his lawyers.”
The memos from Bondi set up a “Weaponization Working Group” — one that can evaluation the work of the Justice Division during the last 4 years in addition to the work of former particular counsel Jack Smith.
Extra memos name for ceasing any variety efforts throughout the Justice Division and directing its Civil Rights Division to establish alternatives to crack down on variety, fairness and inclusion practices.
One other memo seeks to finish funding for so-called sanctuary cities that “unlawfully interfere” with immigration enforcement operations.
Bondi stated attorneys engaged on instances would not have the “latitude to substitute personal political views or judgments for those that prevailed in this election,” saying that doing so “undermines the constitutional order and deprives the president of the benefit of his lawyers.”
“No one who has acted with a righteous spirit and just intentions has any cause for concern about our efforts to root out corruption and weaponization,” she wrote in a memo reviewed by The Hill.
The memos strike on the coronary heart of issues raised by Democrats throughout Bondi’s affirmation listening to — that she would view the Justice Division as attorneys for Trump slightly than for the residents of america.
The signaled plans to evaluation Smith come after Bondi refused to say throughout her listening to whether or not she would examine him.
Additionally they echo her protection of Trump as being unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Division.
The directive on variety would additionally mark a shift for the work of the Civil Rights Division, which historically brings instances to guard the rights of assorted minorities, together with these going through discrimination based mostly on their race, gender, or a incapacity.
Bondi directed the division to give attention to variety, fairness and inclusion efforts, leaving the door open to doing so at personal corporations.
“There is no place in these materials for race- or sex-based preferences,” Bondi wrote.
