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28. MaddowBlog-An unraveling Justice Department appears to be coming apart at the seams
Wed Jan 14, 2026, 11:39 AM
Jan 14

In 2025, the DOJ struggled with everything from purges to incompetence to weaponization. In 2026, its collapse seems to be accelerating

The Justice Department’s unraveling is accelerating:
- Civil Rights Division resignations
- another prosecutor purged
- bipartisan condemnation of Powell/Fed probe
- multiple court defeats in recent days
- White House takeover
- Trump slams Bondi

An institution in crisis.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-13T16:56:50.673Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/an-unraveling-justice-department-appears-to-be-coming-apart-at-the-seams

But as 2026 gets underway, conditions at the Justice Department have gone from bad to worse. Indeed, almost two weeks into the new year, the DOJ appears to be an agency in crisis, rapidly unraveling before our eyes.

Consider some of the more notable developments from just the past week:

At least four leading officials from the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division resigned in protest after Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided not to investigate the fatal shooting of Renee Good.

The Justice Department fired Robert McBride, a veteran prosecutor, after he declined to lead the controversial prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.

The Justice Department opened an unprecedented criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, sparking widespread and bipartisan criticisms.

Vice President JD Vance announced that the administration would soon have a new assistant attorney general but that their work would be “run out of the White House” instead of Main Justice, reinforcing concerns that the West Wing has effectively seized control of the DOJ, which has largely functioned as an independent entity since Watergate.

The New York Times reported on the gutted state of the department, which is plagued by systemic vacancies and prosecutors who fear they’ll be fired for working on cases the political right might not like. Complicating matters, the article added, “personnel typically deployed to national security and fraud cases are being diverted to focus on other priorities, including the president’s demands for investigations into his perceived enemies.”

The Justice Department has suffered a series of defeats in court over the past few days, including embarrassing setbacks in cases related to renewable energy, Energy Department grants to blue states, federal funding for child care and social services in blue states and, as of late Friday, federal election funds.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump has “repeatedly” complained to aides in recent weeks about Bondi, “describing her as weak and an ineffective enforcer of his agenda.”

Each of these stories is important in its own right, but taken together, a picture emerges of a Justice Department that appears to be coming apart at the seams.

Recommendations

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Will this help? Srkdqltr Jan 13 #1
Yeah, I don't really see how it does help, nor see why state prosecutors would quit over it AZJonnie Jan 13 #5
It could help liberalgunwilltravel Jan 13 #19
Fair enough. If that happens, I will revisit my calculus :) AZJonnie Jan 13 #20
I think it could be good, these now very experienced civil rights attorneys can now Bev54 Jan 13 #26
Nope newdeal2 Jan 13 #6
By what measure? Torchlight Jan 13 #23
Nice to see some people with principles for a change. Dave Bowman Jan 13 #2
THIS malaise Jan 13 #14
I have mixed feelings about this. RandySF Jan 13 #3
If they stayed, they'd be complicit in /tainted by what amounts to DHS lawlessness. Their leaving leaves DHS totally ancianita Jan 13 #24
What good does that do? Don't we need prosecutors who are arrayed against MAGAfascism? Prairie Gates Jan 13 #4
They are leaving because they were being required to support MAGAfascism. Ocelot II Jan 13 #11
I'd rather see a headline saying they were FIRED leftstreet Jan 13 #7
Correct or delete post. Fed prosecutors located in MN Justice Jan 13 #8
It is FEDERAL prosecutors who have resigned, not state. MineralMan Jan 13 #9
Six Prosecutors Quit Over Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim's Widow-NYT irisblue Jan 13 #10
No paywall link here: Ocelot II Jan 13 #12
Thank you thank you thank you irisblue Jan 13 #13
Oh sh** Quit to protest investigating victim's WIDOW? lostnfound Jan 13 #15
No there is no limit. The devils are in the DOJ& DHS & hell is empty irisblue Jan 13 #22
Joe Thompson, U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Minnesota fraud, resigns with other senior members mysteryowl Jan 13 #16
Independant investigation, State investigation and or Civil litigation..... aeromanKC Jan 13 #17
Where do legal and professional standards and expectations fit into this? RockCreek Jan 13 #18
Four leaders of the Civil Rights Division at the DOJ have resigned after decision not to investigate murder of Good LetMyPeopleVote Jan 13 #21
I've never understood this Alpeduez21 Jan 13 #25
Top prosecutors in D.C., Minneapolis leave amid turmoil over shooting probe LetMyPeopleVote Jan 13 #27
MaddowBlog-An unraveling Justice Department appears to be coming apart at the seams LetMyPeopleVote Jan 14 #28
MaddowBlog-In Trump's Justice Department, resignations, once rare, are suddenly much more common LetMyPeopleVote Jan 14 #29
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