Justice Connection

DOJ Tracker: February Update Our monthly update to track the attacks on the rule of law and the Justice Department. Here’s what you need to know from February.

The admin's "flood the zone" strategy makes it hard to keep up with attacks on DOJ and the rule of law. That's why we built the DOJ Tracker.

Dropping cases due to staffing shortages. An Olympics locker room party. Contempt threats.

Catch up on February:

Trump Administration, in Reversal, Tries to Continue Fight Against Law Firms

The president is weaponizing DOJ to settle his political vendettas and chill the right to representation.

This about face shows this is amateur hour by a department that serves only one client: the president.

Complaint – #1 in AMICA CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS v. EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION REVIEW (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-00696) – CourtListener.com COMPLAINT against All Plaintiffs ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12267969) filed by HIAS, BROOKLYN DEFENDER SERVICES, FLORENCE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT, AMICA CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT ...

A new rule that eviscerates a meaningful opportunity to appeal immigration decisions further erodes noncitizens’ due process rights.

Proud of former DOJ superstar Erez Reuveni for leading the fight to overturn it.

Exclusive: FBI Staffers Fired for Role in Mar-a-Lago Probe Were Assigned to Espionage Unit That Investigated Iranian Threats in America, Sources Say | The New York Sun Dismissals tied to Trump’s classified-docs probe happened days before the launch of Operation Epic Fury and, separately, a deadly Austin bar shooting.

Director Kash Patel fired FBI agents who tracked Iran-linked threats because they worked on the Trump classified documents case.

Trump’s political retribution is making us all less safe.

Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Seeks Fame and Fortune, Escorted by an F.B.I. SWAT Team

Director Patel’s use of FBI SWAT teams to guard his girlfriend wastes the time and skills of agents trained in counterterrorism and hostage negotiations.

If Ms. Wilkins wants bodyguards, she should pay for them herself – not have taxpayers foot the bill.

Response to Motion – #50 in Pitts v. United States (N.D. Ga., 1:26-cv-00809) – CourtListener.com Brief of Bipartisan Former Justice Department Officials as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioners filed by Robert J. Cleary, Deirdre M. Daly, Murray Dickman, Stuart M. Gerson, Peter Keisler, John S Ma...

Former high-level DOJ officials who served in Republican and Democratic admins filed an amicus brief warning that DOJ kept crucial info out of its search warrant for Fulton County’s election records and misled the judge who signed it.

Read it here:

DOJ is doubling down on using the FACE Act to charge people who protested at a church in MN.

The problem? The Constitution protects against infringement on religious worship by government, not private actors.

Read more on DOJ’s flawed FACE Act use: justiceconnection.substack.com/p/prosecutin...

DOJ sues 5 more states for access to voter rolls The lawsuits targeted several Republican-led states, expanding the Trump administration’s push for election data across the country.

DOJ’s lawsuits against 5 more states to force turnover of voters’ private data are part of an alarming pressure campaign to "nationalize” elections.

The promise of our voting rights laws was access to the ballot box, not centralized data grabs that fuel purges. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Former DOJ prosecutor, Sam Trepel, lays out the danger of DOJ not investigating the violent tactics by federal agents across the country, not just in Minneapolis.

DOJ is sending the message that federal agents are above the law.
justiceconnection.substack.com/p/by-refusin...

At least 10 FBI staffers who worked on Mar-a-Lago documents case are fired, sources say At least 10 FBI employees who worked on former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Trump's retention of classified records were fired Wednesday, multiple sources said.

Director Kash Patel just fired FBI agents who worked the Mar-a-Lago classified-documents case.

Call it what it is: retaliation for investigating Trump. www.cbsnews.com/news/at-leas...

Nude photos and passports: Justice Department posted dozens of problematic images to Epstein files site, CNN analysis finds | CNN Politics For nearly a month, the Justice Department failed to take down more than a dozen images in the Epstein files that should have been redacted, including pictures of a young girl kissing Jeffrey Epstein ...

“Saying this was sloppy would give them too much credit. I don’t fault the line prosecutors who handled the redactions review. This was doomed for failure, because of bad management and leadership.” – Mimi Rocah, former SDNY AUSA.
www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/p...

“If anybody out there believes that [Patel] was really in Italy for work reasons and not to knock back beers with USA hockey, then they have a severe gullibility problem.” – Mike Feinberg, former FBI Special Agent

Opinion | The line between civilian and military law enforcement is blurring. Congress must act. "The systematic militarization of civilian law enforcement — exemplified by 'Operation Metro Surge' in Minnesota — represents a fundamental shift that endangers our democracy," write several people wh...

A stark warning from former U.S. Attorneys and national security lawyers: Minnesota’s “Operation Metro Surge” blurred the bright line between civilian law enforcement and military force. 

Congress must act to protect our constitutional guardrails.
www.startribune.com/ice-enforcem...

FBI investigations hindered by Kash Patel, whistleblower tells top Democrat Dick Durbin accuses FBI chief of ‘irresponsible joyriding’ and says agency’s work marred by Patel’s poor decisions

When the FBI’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the Brown University shooting is delayed by the Director’s vacations on official aircraft, that’s not leadership.

It’s treating the job like a perk and degrading mission readiness.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

U.S. has a quarter fewer immigration judges than it did a year ago. Here's why The continued drain of personnel from the already strained immigration court system has contributed to depleted staff morale, mounting case backlogs — and floundering due process.

Firing hundreds of immigration judges and court staff jeopardizes due process, further clogs an overwhelmed system, and undermines public trust in the courts.
www.npr.org/2026/02/23/g...

Former FBI Special Agent Mike Feinberg shares a Quantico rule for Justice Connection's Substack: “Don’t embarrass the Bureau.”

When the FBI Director turns into an unserious spectacle, it costs agents something they can’t do their job without – respect. justiceconnection.substack.com/p/kash-patel...

Former DOJ staff just launched Red Line for Civil Rights — a new project tracking how this administration has hollowed out and politicized civil rights enforcement.

This public accountability is essential when the administration has decimated the Civil Rights Division.

redlinecivilrights.org

Federal rules shape nearly every part of our lives.

Rebecca Bond led DOJ's Disability Rights Section and ensured DOJ listened to the public during the rulemaking process.

In Justice Connection’s latest Substack, she explains why rulemaking matters. justiceconnection.substack.com/p/the-govern...

Kash Patel heads to Milan for the Olympics — on the FBI jet The FBI director has plans to watch the U.S. men’s hockey team vie for gold, sources tell MS NOW.

Director Patel's claim his trip to Italy is for work is ludicrous – no other FBI Director has attended an Olympic event.

Arranging a visit with personnel or foreign law enforcement partners doesn't disguise what he's really there for. www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...

Employment Resources for DOJ Workforce - Justice Connection Stay informed about news and guidance for federal employees and access unemployment support, networking opportunities, and career coaching.

As career DOJ staff are being forced to make career-defining decisions, Justice Connection is here to support them.

We are connecting career DOJ employees with employers who are seeking applicants with DOJ experience. Learn more here: www.thejusticeconnection.org/employment-r...

Mass departures from Justice Dept. are boon for law firms, legal groups and political campaigns More than 5,000 employees have resigned, retired or been fired​ from the Justice Department in the first year of Mr. Trump's second administration.

As our executive director, Stacey Young, told CBS, nonprofits and firms “are capitalizing on DOJ's idiotic decision to drive out many thousands of brilliant career employees.”

www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-de...

In-Your-Face DOJ Aide Rides Prosecutors for ‘Chief Client’ Trump When leaders of all 93 US attorneys’ offices met for their weekly video chat last month, the 33-year-old Justice Department aide who presided had a blunt message.

A top aide on the cases against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, James Comey, and Don Lemon thinks DOJ’s chief client is the president.

Let’s be clear: We serve the United States and the American people.

We swear an oath to the Constitution, not a man.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Putting to rest any doubt that Donald Trump has hijacked an independent Department of Justice. Shameful.

YouTube video by Justice Connection "America's Peacemaker" Was Built for Moments Like Minnesota. DOJ Shut It Down.

Julius Nam was part of DOJ's Community Relations Service, the decades-old unit built to de-escalate civil rights conflicts—until DOJ shut it down.

CRS was there after George Floyd’s murder. They should’ve been in Minnesota again after the fatal shootings last month.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=afMo...

Trump would like the government he leads to pay him billions President Trump is asking the federal government for billions of dollars in damages, putting his own Justice Department on the spot and creating an unprecedented ethical morass.

Justice Connection advisory committee member Rupa Bhattacharyya handled federal tort cases at DOJ.

She told NPR Trump’s $230M demand “would be an order of magnitude greater than any administrative settlement the Department has ever agreed to” under the FTCA.
www.npr.org/2026/02/18/n...

Opinion | One Man Stole $660 Million. He’ll Never Pay It Back.

When DOJ leadership is unwilling to meaningfully fight corruption and may even be facilitating it, accountability work like the newly launched Public Integrity Project is essential.

If you have cases to flag or want to support these DOJ alumni, reach out: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/o...

FedSupport Webinar – Town Hall: Breaking Down the New Schedule Policy/Career Rule The session will break down the rule in plain language and outline its potential impact on the federal workforce.

TONIGHT: FedSupport is hosting a virtual town hall for federal workers to break down what OPM’s new Schedule Policy/Career employment rule could mean for your job.

Register here: fedsupport.org/event/fedsup...

Justice Connection’s Employment Support Network is expanding to connect DOJ employees with job opportunities with employers who are specifically seeking DOJ experience.

Learn more: www.thejusticeconnection.org/justice-conn...

Demands for voter rolls. Voting Rights Act cases dropped. Personal voter data shared across agencies.

In Justice Connection’s latest Substack, former DOJ voting rights attorney Elizabeth Ryan details how the department is abandoning voting protections: open.substack.com/pub/justicec...

FBI formally refuses to share evidence in Alex Pretti killing, Minnesota investigators say Minnesota's top investigative agency said Monday the federal government has formally refused to hand over evidence and information in the killing of Alex Pretti.

The FBI is refusing to share evidence in the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

This admin is insisting on investigating itself behind closed doors.

Cutting out MN investigators will further erode public trust in DOJ and these investigations. www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...