In an unprecedented and surprising set of actions, the new Attorney General Bondi issued eleven new, internal directives for the Department of Justice.  The new Directives are available HERE.

Immediately after her confirmation and swearing in, AG Bondi issued 14 separate directives that hit the Justice Department with significant changes in policy and priorities. 

Eliminating Internal Discriminatory Practices: Following President Trump’s Executive Order, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (Jan. 21, 2025), making it clear that policies relating to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) “violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws” and “undermine our national unity.” To implement this directive, all of the Justice Department components must thoroughly evaluate consent decrees, settlement agreements, litigation positions (including those set forth in amicus briefs), grants or similar funding mechanisms, procurements, internal policies and guidance, and contracting arrangements to eliminate race- or sex-based preferences, diversity hiring targets, or preferential treatment based on DEI- or DEIA-related criteria.

Ending Illegal DEI and DEIA Discrimination and Preferences: In this Directive, AG Bondi directs the Civil Rights Division and the Office of Legal Policy to jointly submit a report to the Associate Attorney General containing recommendations for enforcing federal civil-rights laws and taking other appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including policies relating to DEI and DEIA.

Establishment of Joint Task Force October 7, 2025: This Directive establishes Joint Task Force October 7 (“JTF 10-7”) and related initiatives to prioritize seeking justice for victims of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel, addressing the ongoing threat posed by Hamas and its affiliates, and combatting antisemitic acts of terrorism and civil rights violations in the homeland.

General Policy Regarding Charging, Plea Negotiations and Sentencing:  This memorandum restores  policies restricting prosecutorial discretion and plea bargaining.  Prosecutors must apply two core principles: (1) absence of personal or political motivation in charging (anti-weaponization); and (2) in the absence of unusual facts, prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense. Any exception to this policy would require approval from US Attorney or Assistant Attorney General.

General Policy Regarding Zealous Advocacy on Behalf of the United States: This memorandum prevents DOJ attorneys from exercising personal or political opinion in a case by refusing to sign or advocate on behalf of the client, the United States.

Reinstating the Prohibition on Improper Guidance Documents: This directive restores a prior policy prohibiting the issuance of guidance documents that may substitute for rulemaking.  The memorandum rescinds a 2021 memo under the Biden Administration governing guidance documents.

Reinstating the Prohibition on Improper Third-Party Settlements: This directive prohibits criminal and civil resolutions that require payments to non-governmental, third-party organizations that were neither victims nor parties to the lawsuits.

Rescinding Environmental Justice Memorandum: This memorandum rescinds directions to all DOJ components to implement an “environmental justice” agenda that, among other things, “prioritize[ d]” enforcing environmental laws in cases affecting “overburdened and underserved communities,” including “low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and Indigenous communities.”

Restoring a Measure of Justice to the Families of Victims of Commuted Murderers:  In response to President Biden’s commutation of 37 federal death sentences, this memorandum directs prosecutors to seek potential death penalties under state law, that heightened security is maintained for former death penalty defendants, and provide public forum for the victims’ families to express how the commutations affected them personally.

Restoring the Federal Death Penalty and Lifting the Moratorium on Federal Executions: In this memorandum, AG Bondi lifts the moratorium on federal death penalty executions, and directs prosecutors to seek death penalty cases, particularly in those cases involving the killing of a law enforcement officer. 

Return to Full-Time In-Person Work at the Department of Justice: This memo implements President Trump’s executive order requiring all federal employees to return to work full-time.

Sanctuary Jurisdiction Directives: In this memo, AG Bondi directs three significant actions: (1) Terminate DOJ funding to state and local jurisdictions that unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement operations; (2) Identify and evaluate all funding agreements with non-governmental organizations that provide support to illegal aliens; and (3) Pursue enforcement actions against jurisdictions that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful  federal immigrations operations.

Restoring the Integrity and Credibility of the Department of Justice: In response to the weaponization of DOJ’s federal prosecutors against political opponents, AG Bondi announced the creation of the Weaponization Working Group, led by the AG’s Office. The Weaponization Working Group will focus on the last four years and specifically: (1) Jack Smith’s investigation of President Trump, which spent more than $50 million, and the prosecutors and law enforcement personnel who participated in the unprecedented raid on President Trump’s home; (2) Federal cooperation with the weaponization by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James to target President Trump, his family, and his businesses; (3) .improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions relating to events at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021; (4)  The January 23, 2023, memorandum in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggested that certain Catholic religious practices were affiliated with violent extremism and criminal activity; (5) Prior Justice Department guidance, policy memoranda, and practices concerning the investigation of parents of school children who expressed sincere, good-faith concerns at local government meetings; (6) Criminal prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act for non-violent protest activity; and (7) The retaliatory targeting, and in some instances criminal prosecution, of legitimate whistle blowers.