Brett Shumate Resigns as DOJ Exodus Grows
Brett Shumate, a senior Justice Department official, resigned on November 9, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced. Shumate’s departure follows the Republicans’ midterm losses and several other exits from the department in recent days.
Blanche said the division Shumate led had pursued lawsuits challenging sanctuary policies and secured wins over local policies that he said put federal law enforcement at risk. He also credited it with settlements targeting corporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and with closing clinics that provided gender-affirming care to minors. Blanche thanked Shumate for his service.
Shumate’s resignation came days after Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon announced she was leaving. Blanche had also accepted the resignations of National Security Division head John Eisenberg and Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
The departures come as Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress, setting the stage for investigations into President Donald Trump, people around him and officials who advanced his agenda. The White House has also faced a shake-up: Trump announced that chief of staff Susie Wiles would leave and that Stephen Miller would take her place.
DOJ Exodus Grows as Trump’s Legal Agenda Faces Scrutiny
Another senior Justice Department official is leaving as the Trump administration faces the consequences of its midterm losses. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on November 9 that Brett Shumate had resigned, adding to a string of departures from the department.
Blanche praised the division Shumate led for lawsuits against sanctuary policies and local policies he said endangered federal officers. He also cited settlements aimed at corporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices and the closure of clinics providing gender-affirming care to minors. Those actions formed part of the administration’s legal agenda, which is now losing key officials.
Shumate follows Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon, National Security Division head John Eisenberg and U.S. attorney Jason Reding Quiñones out of the department. Their exits come as Democrats prepare to control both chambers of Congress and pursue investigations into Trump, his associates and officials who carried out his agenda.
The White House is also undergoing a leadership change, with Trump announcing the departure of chief of staff Susie Wiles and the appointment of Stephen Miller. The growing turnover leaves the administration’s legal operation facing scrutiny just as congressional oversight is set to intensify.
DOJ Loses Officials Who Advanced Trump’s Legal Agenda
The Justice Department is losing another senior official who helped carry out the Trump administration’s legal agenda. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on November 9 that Brett Shumate had resigned, following several other high-level departures after the midterm losses.
Blanche pointed to the division’s lawsuits challenging sanctuary policies, its wins over local policies he said endangered federal law enforcement, and settlements targeting corporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices. He also credited the division with closing clinics that provided gender-affirming care to minors. Those efforts are now losing a senior leader as the administration’s political position weakens.
Shumate’s departure follows those of Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon, National Security Division head John Eisenberg and U.S. attorney Jason Reding Quiñones. Democrats are preparing to take control of both chambers of Congress, creating the prospect of investigations into Trump, his associates and officials who advanced his agenda.
Trump has also announced that chief of staff Susie Wiles will leave and Stephen Miller will take her place. The departures leave the administration confronting a changing political landscape while losing officials who played prominent roles in its Justice Department work.
Reported by Daily Mail US, The Daily Beast, ABC News, The New Republic, Raw Story, CBS News, The Week.
