The civil rights division of the Justice Department has recruited individuals whose work histories, education, and experience might have previously disqualified them, according to former officials. Under the leadership of Harmeet Dhillon, the division has worked to replenish its ranks after hundreds of career employees departed following shifts in the unit’s focus under the Trump administration. Since early 2025, more than 300 nonpolitical career employees with decades of collective experience have left the division. To fill these vacancies, the unit opened its doors to new applicants, many of whom are conservatives with backgrounds that former officials say would not have met past standards. An examination of roughly a dozen recent hires through court records, social media posts, and interviews revealed instances of hyperpartisan and conspiratorial statements. Department officials, speaking anonymously, stated that they rejected nearly as many applicants as the 126 they hired. They added that any ideological leanings among the new career staff reflected the broader Trump-era applicant pool, which consists largely of conservative activists and recent law school graduates. Ms. Dhillon defended the quality of the new attorneys, stating that she was actively revamping a division that had previously been dominated by liberals for many years.
Source: nytimes.com
