Trump's DOJ Tries to BLOCK States From Investigating DOJ Misconduct! - Glenn Kirschner

[Rhiannon12866]

To be an attorney at the Department of Justice, you have to have a license to practice law issued by one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

Against this backdrop, let's turn to the new reporting: Pam Bondi is trying to get rid of all of the ethical guardrails at the Department of Justice. First, she fired the head DOJ ethics attorney. Then she fired the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility - OPR - the organization that investigates allegations of misconduct by DOJ attorneys.

Now Bondi is trying to violate states rights by seeking to prohibit state bar ethics offices from investigating alleged attorney misconduct of attorneys who hold law licenses their state.

But here's the good news: there's an opportunity for we the people to weigh in, make our voices heard, and oppose this latest effort by Bondi to destroy ethical guardrails at the Department of Justice.

See the link below for how you can weigh in and register your opposition.

I just sat down with former pardon attorney Liz Oyer to discuss this latest attempt by Bondi to destroy ethical guardrails at the DOJ. - Glenn Kirschner - 03.05/2026.


To submit your opposition to this DOJ rule change: https://www.regulations.gov/

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. Bloomberg Law-Trump DOJ Pushes to Sideline State Bar Ethics Investigations

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 Justice Department is seeking to empower Attorney General Pam Bondi to suspend state bar ethics investigations into current and former DOJ lawyers�a step outside attorneys quickly criticized as an illegal intervention into state-run processes.

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

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Good Grief! Thanks!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. Lindsey Halligan Is Under Investigation by the Florida Bar (NYT gift link)

The actions of Ms. Halligan, who as a U.S. attorney brought criminal cases against President Trump�s 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

Lindsey Halligan, the former U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia who brought criminal cases against President Trump�s enemies over the objections of career prosecutors, is under investigation by Florida�s bar association, according to a letter the organization sent last month......

An investigation by Florida�s 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 state�s 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 bar�s 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. Trump�s 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 York�s 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