More Than 100 Ex-Federal Lawyers Join Democratic States as 10,000 Leave U.S. Posts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
More Than 100 Ex-Federal Lawyers Join Democratic States as 10,000 Leave U.S. Posts
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 7
Summary
More than 100 lawyers who left federal service since January 2025 have surfaced in Democratic attorneys general offices, with some already appearing in lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions.
Employment data cited in the report shows more than 10,000 federal attorneys—about one-fifth of the government's lawyers—have departed since 2025 began, with exits concentrated in agencies including DOJ, Education and EPA.
Court filings tie former federal lawyers to cases over transgender healthcare restrictions, canceled research grants, FTC commissioner firings and National Guard deployments, reinforcing a multistate strategy Democratic attorneys general say they coordinate daily.
Oregon, New Jersey, Maryland, California, New York and Colorado have highlighted recruiting experienced federal attorneys, many from career civil-service roles and some with decades of DOJ or agency experience.
The administration says the departures reflect a deliberate downsizing and replacement effort, citing 3,200 attorney hires and claiming DOJ performance has improved despite the exodus.