Political appointees at the Justice Department are looking for the exits over concerns that their ties to a Trump agenda voters rejected will damage their careers, according to current and former officials cited by Bloomberg Law.
The officials, who spoke anonymously, said President Donald Trump’s elevation of Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff has deepened the unease and sent some appointees to private-sector contacts for career advice. Bloomberg says four Senate-confirmed DOJ officials have departed in what it calls a rapid exodus, though some resignation plans predated the election.
Some exits were voluntary, per Bloomberg, including Civil Division head Brett Shumate and legislative affairs chief Patrick Davis. But the administration reportedly pushed out others, including national security head John Eisenberg, over dissatisfaction with performance.
DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels called the reporting anonymously sourced “click-bait” and said most appointees are proud to work there. Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters Monday there’s “nothing unusual about folks leaving.”
Morale is split, reported Bloomberg. Younger, MAGA-aligned lawyers are eager to fight Democratic oversight, while more traditional conservatives want to return to big law or corporate jobs. One recent department leader now in the private sector said about five appointees had texted for advice, and at least a few officials are considering liability insurance, a senior administration official said. Rod Rosenstein warned the loss of leaders and experienced career lawyers will make oversight disputes harder to manage.
One current official said that if a U.S. attorney or Washington official thinks they might be investigated, the instinct is, “I’m getting the hell away from this.”
Bloomberg also reports that some recent recruits rescinded their acceptances.