A wave of resignations has swept through the senior ranks of the United States Justice Department in the wake of the recent midterm elections. Among those stepping down are the department's civil rights chief and a prosecutor who had been investigating allegations of conspiracy involving President Donald Trump.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as a personal lawyer for President Trump, confirmed on Thursday that he had accepted the resignation of Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Dhillon, in her resignation letter cited by various US media outlets, noted that she had submitted her departure in October but agreed to remain in her post until the conclusion of the election. During her tenure, Dhillon was directly involved in efforts to secure voter registration lists from approximately 30 states ahead of the midterm elections, which resulted in significant losses for Trump's Republican Party.
On Friday, Attorney General Blanche announced further departures, including Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg and Jason Reding Quinones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Quinones had been overseeing an investigation into former intelligence officials whom President Trump had accused of plotting to remove him from office. The department has been involved in several high-profile legal cases, including the April indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, who was accused of threatening the President’s life via an Instagram post depicting seashells.
While the department undergoes this personnel transition, political shifts continue across the country. According to reports from Friday, Democrats have expanded their majority in the US House of Representatives. With 253 seats secured against 157 for Republicans out of the 435-member body, 25 races remained uncalled as of 0922GMT Friday. Furthermore, Democrats have maintained control of the Senate, holding a combined 54 seats alongside two independents who caucus with them, while Republicans hold 44 seats and two contests remain undecided. In state-level politics, Democrats currently hold a 28-20 advantage in governorships, with the final results in Alaska and Kansas still pending.
