The US Justice Department has undergone a major leadership shake-up following the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections. Since the midterms, three senior officials have resigned within two days.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the departures of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg and US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quinones. Quinones confirmed his departure in a statement posted on X. John Eisenberg resigned as Assistant Attorney General for National Security, while Jason Reding Quinones stepped down as US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The administration’s pressure campaigns against Cuba and Venezuela were also led by Quiñones’ office, which also filed criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro. Alex Saab, a businessman close to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who was deported in May, is being prosecuted by Quiñones’ administration.
On Friday, Blanche announced two additional departures.
The resignations come days after Democrats won control of the US House in the midterm elections, dealing a significant political setback to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The departures have fueled questions about the administration’s legal and political strategy heading into the remainder of Trump’s term. The requests drew legal and political scrutiny and did not achieve the administration’s desired outcome.
As head of the Civil Rights Division, Dhillon played a central role in the Justice Department’s efforts to obtain voter registration lists from about 30 states before the midterm elections.
Dhillon submitted her resignation in October but agreed to remain in office until after the midterm elections, according to her resignation letter cited by Reuters . Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday that he had accepted the resignation of Harmeet Dhillon, who served as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
