Attorney General Pam Bondi has dismissed one of the department’s top career ethics officials. Joseph Tirrell, who was responsible for advising senior Department of Justice (DOJ) leaders on ethical standards, had long been seen by critics as emblematic of the entrenched bureaucratic mindset that too often prioritizes politics over justice. Bondi’s decision sends a clear message: under her leadership, the DOJ will no longer tolerate internal resistance that undermines conservative reforms or the will of the American people.
On Monday, Tirrell shared on LinkedIn that he had been fired, posting a photo of his termination notice.
"Until Friday evening, I was the senior ethics attorney at the Department of Justice responsible for advising the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General directly on federal employee ethics," Tirrell wrote. "I was also responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ethics program across the Department."
"I led a small, dedicated team of professionals and coordinated the work of some 30 other full-time ethics officials, attorneys, paralegals and other specialists across the Department of Justice, ensuring that the 117,000 Department employees were properly advised on and supported in how to follow the Federal employee ethics rules," he continued.
Bondi’s termination letter closely resembled those given to a wave of recently dismissed DOJ employees, including at least 20 officials tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution efforts against President Donald Trump. While the exact reason for the firing of the ethics official, Tirrell, remains unclear, former DOJ insiders point to his role in approving a controversial disclosure: that Smith had accepted $140,000 in pro bono legal services as a “gift.” Tirrell had signed off on the arrangement, stating it complied with ethics rules—an approval that is now drawing scrutiny.
He began his career as a U.S. Navy officer before joining the FBI in 2006, later transitioning to the DOJ. He assumed his most recent position in July 2023, during the Biden administration.