Ex-DOJ official goes public with blistering criticism of his former bosses
Source: NPR
May 14, 2026 5:00 AM ET
A former political appointee at the Trump Justice Department has emerged as one of its most outspoken critics, accusing his former bosses, particularly acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, of "very sloppy" work, "sabotage," careerism and betrayal of the Trump agenda.
Attorney Jonathan Gross is also revealing new information about the inner workings of the department's "Weaponization Working Group," an internal effort launched by former Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate claims that federal law enforcement was politicized under the Biden administration.
His public break with the department comes at a delicate time for the Trump administration. As the president gears up for the midterm elections some members of the MAGA base have expressed frustration at what they see as a failure to deliver on promises of accountability. The Justice Department did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
Gross joined the Justice Department's civil rights division last summer after representing defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Before taking on those cases, the rabbi-turned-lawyer had no criminal defense experience. He nonetheless became a strident critic of the prosecution effort, at one point comparing it to the Holocaust. His work on Jan. 6 cases helped raise his profile among Trump allies, drawing the attention of former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and, ultimately, senior Trump-appointed officials at the Justice Department.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/05/14/nx-s1-5802959/doj-trump-doj-todd-blanche-jan-6-capitol-riot