Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Ex-DOJ Chief of Staff Solicits Pro-Trump Lawyers for AUSA Jobs, Draws Legal Backlash

Critics say the appeal conflicts with civil-service law requiring nonpartisan hiring for career prosecutors.

Overview

  • Over the weekend, former DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle posted on X inviting lawyers who "support President Trump" to direct message him about becoming assistant U.S. attorneys.
  • White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller amplified the post with "Patriots needed," and Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones shared it with "We are hiring!"
  • Former prosecutors, including Perry Carbone and conservative commentator and ex-prosecutor Andy McCarthy, condemned the outreach as improper and inconsistent with the Civil Service Reform Act and the DOJ manual.
  • Mizelle defended the call on a conservative podcast by invoking Article II authority, said he received hundreds of inquiries, and described prior dismissals during his tenure under Attorney General Pam Bondi.
  • Reporters seeking comment said the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida did not respond.