U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi abruptly fired the Department of Justice’s top ethics official on Friday in a short, unexplained termination memo—sparking concerns about the future of ethics oversight within the DOJ under President Donald Trump.
Joseph W. Tirrell, who had served as Director of the DOJ’s Departmental Ethics Office since 2023, confirmed his dismissal in a public LinkedIn post on Monday, where he also shared a copy of the memo terminating his employment “effective immediately.”
“Pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, your employment with the Department of Justice is hereby terminated,” the memo read, without offering further explanation.
Ethics Oversight Role
Tirrell, a longtime Justice Department employee with more than 15 years of service, was responsible for advising top DOJ officials—including Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney—on federal ethics rules for government employees. His duties also included supervising ethics programs across the DOJ’s 117,000 employees.
“The oath to defend the Constitution does not come with the caveat that I need only support it when it is easy or convenient,” Tirrell wrote on LinkedIn. “My public service is not over, and my career as a federal civil servant is not finished.”
He invoked quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Edmund Burke, emphasizing his continued commitment to public service and constitutional principles.
Possible Connection to DOJ Shake-up
While DOJ officials did not comment on the reason for Tirrell’s dismissal, Bloomberg Law, which first reported the firing, suggested it may be tied to a broader internal shake-up. According to the outlet, Bondi also fired up to 20 prosecutors and staff connected to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol attack and Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
Though Tirrell’s firing was described as “separate—but potentially related,” he had reportedly advised Smith’s office on ethics matters during those investigations, including on financial disclosures, recusals, conflict waivers, and travel policies for top officials such as FBI Director Kash Patel and Blanche.
Political Fallout
The personnel moves come amid mounting pressure from within Trump’s political base. Bondi has faced criticism from MAGA-aligned influencers over her handling of the long-anticipated disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein-related files. In recent months, she had publicly teased the release of such documents during a Fox News appearance, only to shut down the effort abruptly—drawing ire from Trump supporters.
Tirrell’s termination adds to growing scrutiny of the DOJ under Bondi’s leadership. As questions swirl around political interference, transparency, and ethics, watchdog groups and former DOJ officials are sounding alarms.
For now, the Department has not named a replacement for Tirrell, and it remains unclear how the DOJ will proceed with oversight of internal ethics guidance and compliance for its senior leadership.
