Department of Justice and Ethics

Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded a Merrick Garland–era Justice Department policy that barred political appointees from attending any partisan campaign events or fundraisers, even in their personal capacity, according to a new internal memo obtained by CBS News. Bondi’s directive restores the pre‑2022 approach under which DOJ political appointees may attend such events, including those involving close family members on the ballot, so long as they comply with the federal Hatch Act’s baseline limits and obtain required approvals. Garland had tightened the rules after the Office of Special Counsel opened a Hatch Act investigation into then–U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ attendance at a Democratic fundraiser featuring First Lady Jill Biden, a scandal that ultimately forced Rollins’ resignation amid broader ethics findings. Bondi is leaving those general Hatch Act constraints in place but rolling back Garland’s stricter, department‑specific ban, effectively loosening the firewalls between DOJ political leadership and active partisan campaign settings in the middle of a highly charged election cycle. The move is already raising concern among ethics watchdogs and former prosecutors online who argue that, in practice, it may blur the line between the department’s law‑enforcement role and campaign politics at a time when DOJ decisions are under intense partisan scrutiny.