[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6087009,"mediaKeyId","2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770","parentId",2892531,"title","Former DOJ lawyers testify at bicameral hearing, say political loyalty is displacing rule of law","audioSeconds",8044,"startMs",12000,"endMs",8056000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770&start=12&end=8056","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770/thumbnail_12000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087009/Former-DOJ-lawyers-testify-at-bicameral-hearing-say-political-loyalty-is-displacing-rule-of-law","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087009-661ae8e9b639cbda34313d08faa7f4b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511353&Signature=cH9QtZW6ZMggzwIjYfDqxL~Rpr~lSZ7wt5g5zxRxkHdGnOez09wGJRK0mFFKrzumttA1NZwyGAO7MfjoVugoNiQLZC3HprIK77G3YrVMnjsU1LmKf9j20a6VwLRSMqZEmqmfTLaZmLF9CzNQJzUvhu5siunWdZDSS-HiCQU8-6QDXZ9KOP2jtR20GKA8XffzjgPtcXHFZJ24TExvgkoP5exlhNvxTZ3fwuwXEKI7V~RCv~t1qCUyOolD3wcU1s7g6-fCyV-BxX2fIAKxxtEvghsTJocbAVNdbb0WwmHWOKP66xFyKO7X55x~mg7TFwWEHXqqgw7bhM6PKb1GmQpLfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary","date","2025-04-08T04:28:27.917Z","article","At a joint House and Senate hearing convened by Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Adam Schiff, former Department of Justice attorneys described what they called a systematic effort by political appointees to prioritize loyalty over law, leading to firings, resignations and threats to career staff.

\"Follow the facts and the law wherever they may lead,\" former public integrity prosecutor Ryan Croswell told the panel, summarizing the professional standard he said was breached when his unit was ordered to dismiss a high‑profile case in New York. Croswell said he resigned after acting Department leadership told his office to file a motion to dismiss the charge against New York City Mayor Eric Adams \"without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based.\"

The hearing focused on multiple recent incidents that witnesses said illustrate a pattern: the abrupt firing of Liz Oyer, who served as the department's pardon attorney; the resignation of Croswell and several of his colleagues in the Public Integrity Section after they were ordered to sign a dismissal; a unit reorganization and personnel actions in the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney's Office; and the suspension of a career official after he publicly said a deportation appeared to be erroneous.

\"DOJ is entrusted with keeping us safe, upholding the rule of law and protecting our civil rights. It is not a personal favor bank for the president,\" Oyer testified after describing being fired in a hallway, she said, by a three‑sentence memo. She told the committee that, shortly after her dismissal, department security directed two armed special deputy U.S. Marshals to deliver a letter to her home warning her about testifying; she said the deputies were called off only after she confirmed receipt of the letter by email.

Croswell told members that public integrity prosecutors were asked to sign a motion to dismiss the Adams case and that promotional promises and implicit threats were used to induce compliance. \"It was nearly eliminated in an hour over dismissal charges,\" he said of his section. Several lawmakers pressed Croswell on whether the evidence in the Adams matter, as publicly reported, would have supported prosecution; Croswell said that if the allegations in the indictment could be proved, \"that looked like it would be a strong case.\"

Committee members and witnesses also discussed the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident whose removal to El Salvador drew a district judge's order to return him on the grounds that his removal risked persecution. Witnesses and some members described a subsequent suspension of a career DOJ official, Erez Raveni, after he questioned the removal. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and others said a stay issued during the hearing by Chief Justice John Roberts complicated immediate relief in that case.

Witnesses and lawmakers stressed the practical consequences of the personnel changes: reduced institutional knowledge, lower morale, fewer career lawyers willing to serve and, they said, weakened public safety and enforcement capacity. \"When you fire them, you necessarily make American communities more vulnerable,\" Stacy Young, who founded Justice Connection after 18 years as a career DOJ litigator, testified.

Lawmakers on both sides of the hearing emphasized oversight; Rep. Raskin and Sen. Schiff said they convened the bicameral forum to do oversight that they said other congressional committees had declined to hold.

The hearing yielded no formal votes or legally binding actions; members called for further investigation and legal review. Several senators noted pending and ongoing litigation that has blocked portions of related executive orders and urged courts and bar associations to enforce professional and constitutional norms.

The committee said it planned more hearings on DOJ personnel and policy changes. Several witnesses said they were continuing to pursue public records requests and private litigation to obtain documents they said would corroborate their accounts.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bicameral Spotlight Hearing on Trump’s Pro-Crime, Pro-Corruption Agenda","oneSentenceSummary","At a joint House and Senate hearing convened by Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Adam Schiff, former Department of Justice attorneys described what they called a systematic effort by political appointees to prioritize loyalty over law, leading to firings, resignations and threats to career staff.","taxTitle","Judiciary: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1830,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6086999,"Former associates and witnesses say executive orders and threats pushed law firms to capitulate; some associates resigned",170,2099000,2269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770&start=2099&end=2269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770/thumbnail_2099000.jpg","/articles/6086999/Former-associates-and-witnesses-say-executive-orders-and-threats-pushed-law-firms-to-capitulate-some-associates-resigned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6086999-b6cde6fd9d3aff17eb52c469add5589f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511353&Signature=kBz7q~GVDLxHklMkvMgcMCPxKBPLBRF~Wivv6aYYmXeW1KhjYCChZ~C2hRvK54BpNSXexm2rsYqs5limDzhVRy0mufyiWANGq85ZTVcJmRwRxL~Fl7BvAxxd6VJY1l1ldnQcuW50KlsixB58KkB292ZKDA72Ms6dPJtAxLvJ2NbFiGmfZaR6L0cxPPVbpSKRsTptdcv9uULeBAWUEMtPvLMJprEjw~eZwRBDqJvDCmyR~43b-KBHQ74968RrhIKrdV3QBXasnbaU5ErjfK~qkh5LI7Jnzt-5sN3t2TZAZXNEzPbglPVrioOZboV~hCrJR3SoFAiMmw1E47AGLOVibg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rachel Cohen, a former associate at Skadden Arps, told the joint House–Senate hearing that the Trump administration's executive orders targeting law firms that had represented certain clients prompted some major firms to offer pro bono projects or other concessions to the White House rather than litigate the orders.

\"It is easier to ignore what is happening than to acknowledge the fight that lies ahead,\" Cohen said, describing a series of court‑blocked executive actions against Covington & Burling and Perkins Coie and the subsequent responses by other firms. She testified that Paul Weiss offered $40,000,000 in pro bono work to resolve pressure from the administration and that Skadden committed $100,000,000 in pro bono legal services to the administration in another reported instance.

Cohen told lawmakers she resigned because she perceived firm leadership would not collectively resist the administration's pressure and she wanted to ensure lawyers remained able to represent unpopular clients and public interest causes. \"I will not allow my fear to manifest as silence. I choose courage,\" she said.

Committee members discussed the mechanism and legal reach of the executive orders; witnesses and lawmakers noted that multiple federal courts had issued preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders blocking parts of those actions. Witnesses testified the orders named firms for prior representations they found objectionable and threatened to withdraw government contracts, security clearances or access to federal buildings.

Lawmakers and witnesses described a consequential cascade effect: when large firms decline to represent certain clients, public interest groups and smaller firms lose access to resources and casework; those groups and clients may face difficulties pursuing litigation that challenges government action or defends civil rights. Cohen cited examples of pro bono work such firms historically supported that would be jeopardized if firms accept the executive‑branch terms.

Members repeatedly urged bar associations, law schools and firms to act collectively to defend the independence of the bar and the adversarial system; witnesses said associates across multiple firms prepared anonymous statements and amicus briefs in response to the administration's actions.

No formal disciplinary actions against firms were taken at the hearing; senators and representatives pressed for further review and for courts to continue enforcing constitutional limits on executive power.","Several witnesses, including former Skadden associate Rachel Cohen, testified that a sequence of executive orders and threats against private law firms has intimidated corporate firms into refusing or restricting representations; two associates at Skadden resigned publicly and others organized anonymous protests and statements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6087004,"Former pardon attorney says she was fired after resisting political requests and warned by marshals",450,1214000,1664000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770&start=1214&end=1664","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2892531-51436f3a829dd27c86d51897e9fa2770/thumbnail_1214000.jpg","/articles/6087004/Former-pardon-attorney-says-she-was-fired-after-resisting-political-requests-and-warned-by-marshals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087004-6ce6ccca924456c4ddeeb0234b150d73/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511353&Signature=WhpQ01vR9E9gKN3bQGSsQUATOgXzRPYlooONFPMbqIvqCHiRy7blBXqS03JfHCJ9sFKywzCtXgWz1t7l608PVpjH7FqCPNmEKhEXuMPHK0S2NGTWiGxU361K6aq78kAObMmh7VUficbVvSHptZQTP8klLNXz0XrDbpP~dA3-aSenRhU-D4DGO9mB0v86NrexK7w3-AM8ZF2ojHR~PRpdf48lKQmg4QZZW7bi9zBPe-MstC8BRVIVv9WUshbhGuloy4Ley4e1ZryxutegfZUK7HbkXcBGF-AUOQ9fgszjR3Fx-3VnQuoljpca7tRQAc-P2tnD~b0hWnx7YitwSO0WgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Liz Oyer, who said she served as the U.S. Department of Justice's pardon attorney, testified that she was fired suddenly and without explanation after declining a departmental request she described as inconsistent with the office's ordinary, nonpolitical role.

\"When I was fired, there were over 6,000 applications pending from ordinary Americans around the country who were seeking the president's mercy and second chances through clemency,\" Oyer told the joint House–Senate hearing. She said she received a three‑sentence termination memo signed by \"Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch\" and that she was escorted out with no opportunity to say goodbye to colleagues.

Oyer said other post‑firing experiences convinced her to testify publicly instead of detailing only the events that led to her dismissal. She told the panel that her benefits and access to personnel records were delayed and that she learned, on April 2, that her employer‑provided health insurance would expire in five days unless she paid drastically higher premiums.

She told lawmakers that on a Friday night she was notified that the deputy attorney general's office had directed the department's security service to dispatch two armed special deputy U.S. Marshals to her home to serve a letter warning her about testifying. Oyer said the deputies were called off only after she confirmed receipt of the emailed letter; she described the episode as intended to intimidate her.

Oyer also told members that the Office of the Pardon Attorney had been sidelined in several high‑profile clemency decisions. When asked whether her office had been consulted on the president's mass grants of clemency for participants in the January 6 events, she said, \"I learned about those pardons on the news just like every other American.\"

Lawmakers pressed Oyer about the standard the office uses when recommending restoration of firearm rights; she said the office's duty was to assess public safety and that she did not have sufficient evidence to recommend restoration of gun rights for the celebrity Mel Gibson in a specific case she described.

Committee members asked for records Oyer said she had sought through FOIA that would corroborate her account; Oyer said some office documents she obtained by FOIA did corroborate parts of her testimony but that communications she sought from the deputy attorney general's office had not been produced.

Oyer concluded by urging protection for career public servants and by framing her decision to testify as an effort to preserve the nonpolitical character of the clemency process. The committee did not take formal action on her request for records during the hearing.","Liz Oyer, the former DOJ pardon attorney, told a bicameral hearing she was abruptly fired and later learned deputy DOJ officials sent armed marshals to her home to deliver a letter warning her not to testify; she said the office was sidelined and thousands of clemency petitions went unreviewed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Former DOJ lawyers testify at bicameral hearing, say political loyalty is displacing rule of law

Former associates and witnesses say executive orders and threats pushed law firms to capitulate; some associates resigned

Former pardon attorney says she was fired after resisting political requests and warned by marshals