Schiff, Democrats demand rationale on Bondi firing of ethics attorney

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi for her rationale in firing the Justice Department’s top ethics attorney, asking for details on who will provide ethics guidance to the department.

Bondi fired Joseph Tirrell, director of the Departmental Ethics Office, on Friday after more than 20 years at the Justice Department and the FBI.

The firing of Tirrell marks the removal of one of the last remaining career ethics leaders in the department.

“This latest dismissal of a career ethics official continues the Department’s systematic dismantling of its internal ethics safeguards under your watch, which further undermines public confidence and congressional trust in the Department and its senior leadership,” Schiff wrote in a letter joined by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Ethical matters are of top concern to Democrats given Bondi and other top Justice Department officials’ background serving as part of President Trump's private legal team.

Schiff noted that in confirmation hearings, Bondi and other top officials said they would rely on career ethics officials for guidance on matters where they may have a conflict of interest.

“You also stated in your own written responses to the Committee that you would ‘consult with the appropriate officials at the Department of Justice, including career ethics officials, regarding any matters that raise conflict of interest concerns prior to making any decisions,” they lawmakers wrote.

“However, your removal of remaining career ethics officials renders these commitments meaningless and leaves the Department without the institutional expertise necessary to provide rigorous, impartial ethical guidance.”

Shortly after Trump took office, Brad Weinsheimer, another top ethics official, resigned after he was reassigned to a new working group focused on cracking down on sanctuary cities. Jeffrey Ragsdale, the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, which reviews the conduct of attorneys in the department, was fired in March.

“The dismissal of a career official who has dedicated his professional career to public service without explanation sends a chilling message to the entire federal workforce about the value this administration places on institutional knowledge and ethics expertise,” Schiff wrote.

“You subsequently transferred these responsibilities, traditionally assigned to senior career DOJ officials, to inexperienced political appointees.”

DOJ did not respond to request for comment.

In a post on LinkedIn titled “fired from DOJ without cause, Tirrell attached his termination notice signed by Bondi, which like others fired, cites only the article of the Constitution establishing the presidency as the authority for doing so.

The letter to Bondi asks for the “specific legal justification” for firing Tirrell, who will now have responsibility for providing ethics guidance, and how she “reconcile[s]” her pledge to seek outside ethics advice with the firing of Tirrell and others in similar roles.

“The American people deserve confidence that ethics determinations are made by experienced career officials based on established precedent and legal principles, not by politically-motivated appointees who lack the necessary expertise or independence,” the lawmakers wrote.

“The removals of Mr. Tirrell and other career ethics DOJ officials create a dangerous vacuum in ethics expertise at a time when the Department and its officials face unprecedented ethical challenges.”