Bondi rescinds policy banning some DOJ employees from attending partisan events
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Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded a policy that prohibited political appointees at the Justice Department from attending campaign events or fundraisers, according to a memo seen by CBS News.
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Politics Pam Bondi rescinds policy banning politically appointed DOJ employees from attending partisan events By Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch March 4, 2026 / 10:18 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded a policy that prohibited political appointees at the Justice Department from attending campaign events or fundraisers, according to a memo seen by CBS News on Wednesday. The move undoes restrictions that were previously implemented by former Attorney General Merrick Garland starting in 2022. Federal employees are already subject to restrictions on political activities under the Hatch Act , a law that aims to keep the government free from partisan influence. Prior to Garland's policy, however, political appointees were allowed to attend certain partisan events in their personal capacity with approval from the department. Under Garland's 2022 amendments, political appointees were banned from participating in any partisan political event in any capacity — even on Election Day. His policy also prohibited politically appointed department officials from attending campaign events involving close family members who are running for office. Bondi's new memo will essentially allow political appointees to once again attend such events. Garland tightened the policy surrounding political events after the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency that enforces the Hatch Act, opened an investigation into whether then-Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins violated the law by attending a Democratic fundraiser featuring first lady Jill Biden. Rollins was later forced to resign from her post amid investigations into her conduct by both the DOJ's inspector general and the Office of Special Counsel. The inspector general found she had engaged in a wide range of unethical behav...
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