“This is yet another sign that it’s open season for political #corruption," said Stacey Young, the executive director & founder of the group Justice Connection, a network of #Justice Dept alumni supporting #DOJ's workforce. "The administration gutted the #PublicIntegrity Section, neutered the #USAttorney’s Office in
#DC, & is now shuttering the #FBI’s pre-eminent federal public corruption squad. This isn’t what voters had in mind when they heard, ‘drain the swamp.’”

A top leader in the #FBI’s Washington Field Office was also recently reassigned, 2 people familiar…said. A FBI ofcl said the person was not reassigned for any adversarial reason.

Earlier this year, the #DOJ slashed its #PublicIntegrity Section, which had also worked on public #corruption cases. Members of the unit had also resigned after refusing to sign off on dropping the federal corruption case against NYC Mayor #EricAdams.

…#EmilBove’s demands frustrated people in the #CivilRights division, but many of the managers were afraid to push back, having watched a month earlier as Bove pressed prosecutors in a different division, the #PublicIntegrity section, to drop #criminal charges against #NYC Mayor #EricAdams…. That section, which once had about 30 lawyers, now has only a handful.

Though the hearing was about #EricAdams, #EmilBove articulated a vision for the #DOJ that precludes it from prosecuting public officials who are useful to carrying out the #Trump admin’s political & policy objectives.

One of Bove’s rationales for dropping the Adams case was that the prosecution would “interfere with the defendant’s ability to govern in New York City” & thus has hurt the mayor’s ability to support Trump’s #immigration agenda.

"Some of you have been forced to consider whether your actions will result in the elimination of the #PublicIntegrity Section, created in the wake of the Watergate scandal, & whose vital work is intended to protect the public from government #corruption," it said. "Several of you have resigned, & others are wondering what will happen to the Department we served & revere."

On Thurs, 6 lawyers — the #Trump-appointed acting US attorney for #SDNY & 5 prosecutors in Washington — resigned rather than accede to #EmilBove’s demands. On Fri, a 7th stepped down, writing in his resignation letter that only a “fool” or a “coward” would sign off on the dismissal.

But those close to the #PublicIntegrity section prosecutors described Sullivan’s decision to put his name on the document as heroic. The reason … [he did it was] to protect others….

Fri morning, #EmilBove, acting dpty AG, stepped up pressure. After Thur’s #resignations, Bove held a meeting w/the entire #PublicIntegrity section, ~24 lawyers, looking for anyone to sign a court doc seeking dismissal of the #EricAdams charges. Resignations &/or firings hang over every conversation.

Bove ordered the case be dropped on Mon. The fact that it’s now Friday afternoon & no federal prosecutor has yet complied is a sign of remarkable upheaval at the #DOJ.

NEW: At least three MORE #DOJ #PublicIntegrity division senior ofcls have resigned after a meeting w/ #Trump’s acting dpty AG #EmilBove about the dismissal of #EricAdams #corruption case.

That’s a total of 6 officials who resigned, triple the number that happened during the Nixon #SaturdayNightMassacre.

Acting dpty AG #EmilBove ordered #DanielleSassoon’s office to drop the charges on Mon, saying a potential trial would come too close to when #EricAdams is seeking reelection & the case could hinder his ability to focus on *fighting* [doing] #crime & illegal #immigration.

But prosecutors so far have not asked the trial judge to dismiss the case. If NY prosecutors refused to do so, it’s possible that #DOJ ofcls would send prosecutors from the #PublicIntegrity section to make the request instead.

Kevin Driscoll, a dpty asst AG in the #DOJ’s #criminal division, also resigned…. A longtime career ofcl, Driscoll’s portfolio included the #PublicIntegrity Section, which is responsible for investigations related to elected ofcls. John D. Keller—acting chief of the public integrity section—resigned as well….

#EricAdams was charged w/ #WireFraud, #bribery & seeking illegal campaign #donations.

The chief of the #DOJ’s #PublicIntegrity section, Corey Amundson, is also being removed from his post, acc/to people familiar…. The section oversees #election #crimes & investigations into #PublicOfficials, & its chief is a #nonpartisan career official, according to the Justice Department website.…

On Mon night, hours after #Trump’s inauguration, the DOJ removed at least 4 top ofcls from the part of the agency that operates the nation’s heavily backlogged #immigration courts.