Fired Justice Department Officials Sue Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Terminations

On Thursday, three former officials of the Justice Department initiated legal action against Attorney General Pam Bondi following their unexpected dismissals earlier in the summer. Among the plaintiffs is Michael Gordon, a veteran federal prosecutor who was involved in handling cases related to the January 6 events. Gordon's termination last month shocked him particularly as he was appointed to lead a high-profile fraud investigation involving a Florida man accused of defrauding children with special needs. He noted that officials had personally congratulated him for his work on the case prior to his dismissal.

The lawsuit also includes Joseph Tirrell, who was the department’s top ethics official, along with Patty Hartman, who managed public communications regarding January 6 cases. They claim that they received one-page termination notices signed by Bondi, which failed to provide specific justifications for their dismissals. These memos referenced Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which corresponds to presidential powers.

The trio's suit alleges that Bondi and the Justice Department bypassed established protocols for dismissal, asserting that a judge should reinstate them as employees and grant back pay where applicable. The lawsuit contends that the Attorney General does not possess unchecked authority to terminate Justice Department personnel, highlighting certain essential protections against arbitrary or unlawful firings. Particularly in Tirrell’s case, the suit emphasizes that as a member of the Senior Executive Service and a veteran, he is entitled to specific rights prohibiting unjust personnel actions.

Typically, the plaintiffs might appeal their terminations through the Merit Systems Protection Board. However, the suit claims that the Board has been constrained by actions taken by President Trump, rendering any appeals futile. Numerous Justice Department employees have reportedly been dismissed, including those involved in investigations related to the January 6 Capitol riot and inquiries into Trump himself. Following her termination, Hartman criticized the current state of the department, indicating a troubling erosion of the boundary between the White House and the Justice Department, which traditionally should operate independently of one another. As of now, CBS News has reached out for a statement from the Justice Department regarding the lawsuit.