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Justice Department left short of Senate-confirmed leaders as senior officials depart

25h

Summary

  • Most announced departures would leave only three of 11 assistant attorney general slots filled by permanent, Senate-confirmed leaders.
  • The deputy attorney general post has been vacant for more than a year since Emil Bove left for a 3rd Circuit judgeship.
  • Departing officials include Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon and National Security Division head John Eisenberg.
  • Only two assistant attorney general nominations are pending, and the confirmation window in the current Congress is closing as judges are prioritized.
  • Trump tapped HUD assistant secretary Craig Trainor to lead the Civil Rights Division on an acting basis.
  • The vacancies could leave Attorney General Todd Blanche as the only headquarters official able to give final approval to FISA applications.

Reactions

  • Attorney General Todd Blanche called the resignations routine and said there might be more departures over the next six months or a year.
  • Former officials say a mid-presidency exodus of Senate-confirmed Justice Department leaders is highly unusual.
  • Former Obama-era official Matthew Axelrod says a building full of acting officials mid-administration is exceedingly rare.
  • A Senate Judiciary Committee spokesperson said Chair Chuck Grassley is working to vet and process Trump's pending nominees.
  • A Justice Department official insisted John Eisenberg's departure will not impact the FISA approval process.
  • A White House official said all judicial nominees pending in the Senate are expected to be confirmed in 2026.

Timeline newest first

  1. Vacancies at the Justice Department could leave Todd Blanche as the only headquarters official able to give final approval to FISA applications.

Sources newest first

  • Trump’s DOJ is running short on Senate-confirmed leaderspolitico.com· 25h

    Josh Gerstein's Politico article reports that the Justice Department is short on Senate-confirmed leaders: if announced departures proceed, only three of 11 assistant attorney general slots will have permanent chiefs, and the deputy attorney general post has been vacant for more than a year since Emil Bove left for a judgeship. Departing officials include Harmeet Dhillon and John Eisenberg, former officials call the mid-presidency exodus highly unusual, and Attorney General Todd Blanche insists the resignations are routine, warning there may be more.