US: Political appointees in Justice Department banned from attending campaign events, fundraisers

The United States Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday regarding its political appointees. The guidance barred the agency’s political appointees from attending political fundraisers or campaign events.

Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo Tuesday, stating that the Justice Department’s political appointees are not allowed to attend campaign events and political fundraisers. The memo was issued ahead of this year’s midterm elections in November.

Federal employees are usually subject to the Hatch Act, which is a law that limits some political activities to keep the government free from partisan influence.

Political appointees were previously allowed to attend partisan events in their personal capacity with approval, but under the new guidance Garland issued, no exceptions would be made including on election day.

“I know you agree it is critical that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards to avoid even the appearance of political influence as we carry out the Department’s mission,” said Garland in the memo.

In the new guidance, political appointees are also not allowed to attend campaign events even if they have close family members that are running for office.

The new guidance follows the probe by the US Office of Special Counsel into whether Massachusetts US Attorney Rachel Rollins violated the Hatch Act by attending a July Democratic fundraiser that featured first lady Dr. Jill Biden. The probe was urged by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who has been critical of Rollins.

The change in DOJ policy also comes at a time when the agency is under heavy scrutiny for its decision to carry out a search warrant of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence to recover classified records as part of a criminal investigation.

The former president has accused the DOJ of conducting a partisan witch hunt and the DOJ responded by publishing the warrant and a redacted copy of the affidavit that outlined the evidence obtained.

The DOJ also said in a 54-page filing that the former president deliberately concealed the classified material from the FBI when agents tried to recover them in June.

Prosecutors also laid out the evidence indicating obstruction of justice, alleging that the former president’s aides falsely certified during the June search that Trump returned all the records that he stored in his residence after leaving the White House in 2021.