Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

DOJ Proposes Rule to Curb State Bar Ethics Probes of Its Attorneys

The filing enters a 30-day public comment period, drawing swift questions about the department’s authority.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Justice Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
Image
Image

Overview

  • Filed in the Federal Register, the proposal would let Attorney General Pam Bondi review third‑party complaints first and request that state bars suspend related investigations.
  • The text says the department "shall take appropriate action" if a bar refuses to pause a case, without explaining what measures DOJ could use.
  • The draft prohibits current or former DOJ attorneys from assisting state disciplinary inquiries until the attorney general’s review ends, yet it does not allow DOJ to terminate those investigations and bars are not required to defer.
  • DOJ argues that bar complaints have been "weaponized" by political activists and warns of a chilling effect on department lawyers’ advocacy.
  • Legal experts Joyce Vance and Barbara McQuade dispute that the attorney general can halt state bar actions and caution that the plan could erode independent oversight of DOJ lawyers.