Fourth Justice Department official resigns following midterms

Another Justice Department official has resigned following Democrats' rout in the midterms , which saw Republicans lose their majorities in both the House and Senate.

This time, Brett Shumate, an assistant attorney general who has led the DOJ's Civil Division since June 2025, is the one to go. The Civil Division's responsibilities include defending various federal government policies and representing the government in immigration cases.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a social media post that he accepted Shumate's resignation Nov. 9, and he praised Shumate's efforts challenging local jurisdictions' refusal to work with federal immigration enforcement officials.

Shumate's division "also secured historic settlements to end illegal corporate DEI practices and shuttered dozens of clinics which were providing so-called 'gender affirming care' to minors," Blanche added in his post.

Huge banner of Trump unveiled on Justice Department HQ

Asked why Shumate resigned and whether Blanche was unhappy with any of Shumate's work, the Justice Department referred USA TODAY back to Blanche's social media post praising him.

Last week, Blanche announced the resignation of three other high-level officials: DOJ Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon , U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones and DOJ's National Security Division head John Eisenberg.

The DOJ shakeup comes as Democrats prepare to take control of congressional committees that have the power to issue subpoenas and call officials for testimony as part of congressional oversight. Those committees could look more closely at the Justice Department's activity, which has included several investigations Democrats have decried as politically motivated .

"LAWYER UP," Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California, who is currently the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, posted on social media Nov. 3, after midterm election results began coming in.