"Under this rule, Attorney General Pam Bondi could freeze state bars' probes until the department has undertaken its own independent review of any allegations-a black-box process that could stretch on extensively. Wielding this new power, Bondi could essentially quash any state investigations into ethics violations by DOJ lawyers, including accusations that these front-line attorneys lied in court."
"If upheld, the rule would bail out the many, many DOJ lawyers who allegedly breached their ethical obligations in defending the Trump administration. We have seen a lot of complaints lodged with state bars against a whole bunch of Donald Trump's Justice Department supervillains, including Pam Bondi herself, Todd Blanche, Ed Martin, and Emile Bove, who is now a judge."
The Justice Department has proposed a new rule that would grant Attorney General Pam Bondi authority to halt state bar investigations into DOJ lawyers accused of ethics violations. Under this rule, Bondi could initiate independent federal reviews that could extend indefinitely, effectively preventing state bars from pursuing their own probes. This power could shield numerous DOJ attorneys from accountability for alleged ethical breaches, including accusations of lying in court while defending the Trump administration. Multiple Trump administration lawyers, including Bondi herself, Todd Blanche, Ed Martin, and Emile Bove, face complaints with state bars. Legal experts question whether such a rule would withstand judicial scrutiny, given that the federal government has not previously attempted such broad intervention in state bar disciplinary processes.
#doj-ethics-violations #state-bar-investigations #attorney-discipline #trump-administration #legal-accountability
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