Key facts
- Federal prosecutor Will Rosenzweig sued the Justice Department, alleging his termination violated his First Amendment rights.
- Rosenzweig was fired after a conservative commentator publicized his past blog posts critical of Donald Trump.
- The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, backpay, and a court order declaring his firing unlawful.
- Rosenzweig's lawyers stated he was a highly respected prosecutor who received consistent praise and awards.
- The lawsuit argues the firing conditions public employment on political loyalty.
A federal prosecutor, Will Rosenzweig, has sued the Justice Department, alleging his termination violated his First Amendment rights. Rosenzweig was dismissed after a conservative commentator publicized blog posts he had written years earlier as a private citizen, which included criticisms of Donald Trump. The lawsuit states that Rosenzweig received an email signed by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi informing him of his termination just weeks before he was set to try a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case. His lawyers assert that Rosenzweig was a highly valued prosecutor who had received consistent praise and awards, and that his firing was a direct assault on his free-speech rights. The complaint argues that conditioning public employment on political loyalty is unacceptable in the United States. The Justice Department declined to comment, citing pending litigation.