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yesterday

Bondi Fires DOJ Ethics Adviser in Expanded Purge of Jan. 6 and Trump Prosecutors

She cited Article II powers to remove her top ethics lawyer without explanation, deepening concerns about political influence at the Justice Department.

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Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters building on April 30, 2025, in Washington, DC.
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Overview

  • On July 11, Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed Joseph Tirrell, the department’s senior ethics lawyer, via a termination letter that offered no reason.
  • The removal letter invoked Article II of the Constitution to justify the unexplained ouster of a career civil servant.
  • Tirrell led the Justice Department’s ethics office, advising Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and 117,000 staff on disclosures, recusals and gifts.
  • His firing coincided with the dismissal of 20 DOJ employees who had worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations of President Trump.
  • Critics warn that this intensifying purge of career ethics and prosecution officials tied to Jan. 6 and Trump cases threatens the department’s independence and accountability.