Nonprofit Files Ethics Complaints Against DOJ Lawyers Supporting the Trump Administration

A shadowy nonprofit has initiated ethics complaints against three Department of Justice attorneys who represented the Trump administration in legal proceedings. Funded primarily by Pierre Omidyar's Democracy Fund, the organization known as the "Legal Accountability Center" has lodged grievances with disciplinary committees in various cities where these lawyers reside or practice. The targeted attorneys—Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton, Special Counsel Brad Rosenberg, and trial attorney Liam Holland—are accused by the center of making misleading statements aimed at reassuring the court that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) would remain operational. According to the complaints, internal emails from CFPB acting Director Russell Vought appeared to serve as a stop-work order for staff, conflicting with the government's legal filings. These allegations prompted Judge Amy Berman Jackson to express skepticism about the defendants' credibility. However, the complaints suggest that the stop-work directive aligns with President Trump's directives to minimize CFPB operations, consistent with his authority over the executive branch. This incident exemplifies tac...