Trump Justice Department aims to limit ethics probes into its lawyers
Source: Reuters
Trump Justice Department aims to limit ethics probes into its lawyers
By Andrew Goudsward
Wed, March 4, 2026 at 1:43 PM EST
2 min read
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to constrain ethics investigations conducted at the state level into alleged misconduct by its lawyers, according to a proposed rule submitted on Wednesday that would shield prosecutors pursuing President Donald Trump's agenda.
The proposal would give the U.S. attorney general the right to review misconduct allegations against current or former Justice Department attorneys and request that disciplinary authorities at the state level suspend their investigations.
That would mean that the attorney general, by dragging out such a review, could stall any such investigation.
The proposal takes aim at the actions of bar associations and similar professional organizations, not government entities, that investigate alleged unethical conduct by lawyers and consider actions such as disbarment, which involves revoking a license to practice law.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-justice-department-aims-limit-184237447.html
LetMyPeopleVote
(178,455 posts)Many of the experienced DOJ attorneys have left or been fired and the ones left are not necessarily the brightest. Bondi has had to hire some real idiots to pursue trump's demands.
Link to tweet
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-doj-pushes-to-sideline-state-bar-ethics-investigations
The proposed regulation, posted in the Federal Register Wednesday, would aim to halt state-level ethics proceedings against DOJ lawyers while the department conducts its own review, which would diminish local bar associations� power. It comes as Bondi, members of her leadership team, and prosecutors involved in immigration matters face complaints probing DOJ misconduct in states where they�re licensed to practice law.
The department unveiled the unexpected policy by saying the change is necessary in light of the �weaponization� of the bar complaint process.
If finalized after a public comment period, �whenever a third party files a bar complaint alleging that a current or former Department attorney violated an ethics rule while engaging in that attorney�s duties for the Department, or whenever bar disciplinary authorities open an investigation into such allegations,� the attorney general �will have the right to review the complaint and the allegations in the first instance,� the proposal states.
An attorney general who decides to exercise this right�or a designated official�will then notify the state bar agency and the lawyer facing the complaint and �request� that the disciplinary authorities pause the investigation until the review is completed.
If the DOJ finds no violation, that blocks the state from investigating the alleged infraction. And �should the relevant bar disciplinary authorities refuse the Attorney General�s request, the Department shall take appropriate action to prevent the bar disciplinary authorities from interfering with the Attorney General�s review of the allegations,� the proposed regulation states.
The regulation and discipline of attorneys is a job for the Bar Association of each state. Lawyers are regulated and disciplined by their state bar association. trump is ordering the DOJ to pursue meritless acts of vengeance and the attorneys who pursue these actions need to be subject to state bar discipline
LetMyPeopleVote
(178,455 posts)The actions of Ms. Halligan, who as a U.S. attorney brought criminal cases against President Trumps enemies, are under review by the organization that licensed her to practice law.
Link to tweet
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/lindsey-halligan-investigation-florida-bar.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Q1A.q4l-.DE_3RGfJbitt&smid=nytcore-ios-share
An investigation by Floridas bar association could lead to disbarment, but the process is rigorous and often takes years. Though the bar can open investigations and act as a fact-finder, its recommendations go to an organization called a grievance committee, which has to determine whether there is probable cause to believe an attorney is guilty of misconduct. That recommendation then goes to the states courts, which have the power to disbar lawyers.
Still, the prospect of Ms. Halligan losing her license could serve as a check on administration lawyers who have been accused by judges of pushing the boundaries of the law or intentionally misleading the courts, which has happened frequently in recent months. It could also deter attorneys considering working for the Justice Department, which is eagerly looking to hire to replace the many employees who quit or were fired last year.
On Wednesday, the administration posted a notice in the Federal Register that suggested it was seeking to intervene in state bar associations disciplinary proceedings.
The Justice Department has no apparent legal authority over state bar disciplinary organizations, and its proposal suggested that it would request that a state bar association suspend any parallel investigations until the department completes its own review. But legal experts said that even a request like that by the administration could be interpreted by bar associations as a threat.....
The Florida bars investigation into Ms. Halligan centers on her conduct as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, when she went before grand juries to seek indictments against two of Mr. Trumps longtime targets. Her predecessor was forced out after he determined that there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against those targets, the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey and New Yorks attorney general, Letitia James.
Bondi and the DOJ do not want State Bar Associations investigation the unethical and incompetent attorneys now working at the DOJ. Halligan should be disbarred