Ex-Federal Prosecutor Sues DOJ, Alleging Political Firing Over FACE Act Case
On Monday, August 17, 2026, former federal prosecutor Sunita Doddamani sued the Justice Department in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., saying her April firing was unlawful and politically motivated.[1]
Doddamani alleges she was removed in retaliation for helping prosecute the 2023 FACE Act case United States v. Zastrow in Michigan, in which eight anti-abortion activists were convicted.[1] Her complaint says the termination violated the Civil Service Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the First and Fifth Amendments, and it attributes the firing to partisan opposition to Biden-era FACE Act enforcement.[1]
In 2023, eight activists were convicted in United States v. Zastrow, a prosecution that Doddamani says she helped lead.[1] The Justice Department had previously posted on X that it had terminated personnel "responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act," but it did not explain which cases or employees it meant.[1]
The suit puts the controversy over FACE Act enforcement and internal personnel moves before a federal judge and could prompt discovery into why Doddamani was removed.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, August 17, 2026, Sunita Doddamani sued the Justice Department in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia over her April firing.
- Doddamani alleges she was terminated in retaliation for helping prosecute the 2023 FACE Act case United States v. Zastrow in Michigan, where eight anti-abortion activists were convicted.
- The complaint claims her removal violates the Civil Service Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the First and Fifth Amendments and was driven by partisan opposition to Biden-era FACE Act enforcement.
- DOJ’s prior public statement on X said it had terminated personnel "responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act," but provided no case-specific explanation.
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