Key facts
- Federal judges accused the Trump Justice Department of misconduct, including false statements and harassment.
- Internal watchdogs at the DOJ face shrinking staff and fear of retribution.
- New OPR cases have reached a 20-year low despite a surge in misconduct complaints.
- Adam Candeub, a nominee for the DOJ's antitrust division, was questioned over past writings.
- The DOJ plans to rescind guidance on proxy advisors.
- The DOJ settled with OpenAI and Statsig over green-card hiring practices.
- OpenAI and Statsig will pay $3.2 million and undergo three years of oversight.
- The government was ordered to pay over $450,000 in legal fees to the Association of American Universities.
- The legal fees were awarded after a ruling blocked a Trump administration cap on research cost reimbursements.
The Justice Department (DOJ) is under pressure on several fronts, with internal watchdogs reportedly struggling amid a rise in misconduct complaints against the Trump administration. Federal judges have accused the DOJ of misconduct, including making false statements and harassing political opponents. However, internal watchdogs are facing shrinking staff and a climate of fear, which has led to a significant decline in investigations. This has resulted in a 20-year low in new Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) cases, even as the number of complaints has surged.
In parallel, President Donald Trump's nominee for the DOJ's antitrust division, Adam Candeub, underwent intense questioning from senators. The scrutiny focused on his past writings concerning Muslim immigrants and political speech. This nomination process occurs as the DOJ is preparing to rescind guidance related to proxy advisors.
Furthermore, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division has reached a settlement with OpenAI and its former subsidiary Statsig. The agreement addresses allegations of discriminatory hiring practices concerning green-card applicants. The AI lab and its former subsidiary will pay $3.2 million and be subject to three years of oversight regarding their hiring practices. The allegations centered on favoring foreign workers seeking green cards over U.S. citizens.
In a separate legal development, a U.S. judge has ordered the government to pay over $450,000 in legal fees to the Association of American Universities. This order stems from a ruling where the group successfully blocked a cap imposed by the Trump administration on reimbursements for indirect research costs.