An exodus of top officials from the Trump administration is continuing following blow-out losses to Democrats during last week’s midterm elections.
Another senior Justice Department official has resigned, extending a series of high-profile departures following Republicans’ losses in last week’s midterm elections.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Monday that Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, who led the Justice Department’s powerful Civil Division, is leaving the administration.
Shumate becomes at least the fourth prominent Justice Department official to depart in the days following Tuesday’s elections.
“Under his leadership, the Division pursued important affirmative litigation to challenge sanctuary policies and delivered key wins in lawsuits against local policies that endangered federal law enforcement,” Blanche said.
“The 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,” he continued.
“We are grateful for Brett’s service at DOJ and wish him continued success.”
The Justice Department did not immediately announce a permanent successor or publicly disclose Shumate’s reason for leaving.
Shumate was confirmed by the Senate in 2025 to oversee the Civil Division, one of the department’s largest and most consequential components.
The division represents the federal government in litigation ranging from constitutional challenges to immigration disputes, regulatory fights and lawsuits involving presidential authority.
Shumate consequently became one of the administration’s most visible courtroom defenders as Trump implemented an aggressive second-term agenda.
His lawyers defended administration policies involving immigration enforcement, sanctuary jurisdictions, diversity programs, transgender policies and other controversial initiatives.
Shumate was also personally involved in litigation surrounding the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.
That dispute produced a prolonged confrontation with U.S. District Judge James Boasberg over whether the administration complied with judicial orders involving deportation flights.
Shumate’s resignation follows several other significant departures from the department since Democrats captured control of Congress.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced Thursday that she was leaving as head of the Civil Rights Division.
Dhillon said she had decided before the election to return to private practice and rejected suggestions that the midterm results prompted her departure.
She highlighted the division’s work challenging diversity, equity and inclusion programs, protecting women’s sports, pursuing antisemitism investigations and expanding Second Amendment enforcement.
Two additional senior officials departed Friday.
John Eisenberg resigned as assistant attorney general overseeing the National Security Division, which handles terrorism, espionage, counterintelligence, cybersecurity and other national-security matters.
Jason Reding Quiñones also resigned as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Quiñones’ office had been overseeing the Justice Department’s sprawling “grand conspiracy” investigation examining whether former intelligence and law-enforcement officials improperly targeted Trump and his associates through investigations dating to the 2016 election.
That investigation has involved subpoenas targeting numerous former government officials but has not produced criminal indictments.
Blanche praised Quiñones for his work combating violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and transnational criminal organizations.
“We are grateful for Jason’s leadership in combatting violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and transnational crime, including the indictment of Raúl Castro,” Blanche said Friday.
“Jason has served the Department multiple times over his distinguished career, and we thank him for his service to this country.”
The rapid departures have left vacancies atop several important Justice Department divisions just as the administration prepares for a dramatically different political environment in Washington.
Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the midterms and will assume congressional power in January.
That shift will give Democratic committee chairs subpoena authority and significantly expand their ability to investigate the Justice Department and other parts of the Trump administration.
The White House is simultaneously undergoing its own personnel changes.
President Trump announced Friday that longtime adviser Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff beginning Monday.
Wiles is moving to Trump’s political operation, while Deputy White House Chief of Staff Richard Walters also announced his departure.
Trump acknowledged before the White House changes were announced that additional personnel moves were possible following the midterms.
The president nevertheless has continued expressing confidence in much of his administration.
