Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the Department of Justice’s ethics director as part of an ongoing purge at the agency.
Bloomberg Law reported that Joseph Tirrell received a termination letter from Bondi on Friday, not stating a reason for his removal.
“Similar to notices the Trump administration has sent to dozens of other DOJ civil servants, Bondi cited Article II of the Constitution, which concerns presidential powers,” according to Bloomberg.
Tirrell shared news of his termination on LinkedIn, along with what he indicated was the termination letter that he received.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has dismissed a senior career official responsible for advising her and other top Justice Department leaders on ethics matters. Joseph Tirrell shared news of his termination on LinkedIn, posting a photo of his dismissal notice…which did not include any… pic.twitter.com/6mJ12aBd7V
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) July 14, 2025
“Tirrell’s removal is separate—but potentially related—to the roughly 20 employees involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations, according to numerous media reports, were also fired July 11,” Bloomberg said.
“Tirrell advised Smith’s office on ethics matters during his criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share a sensitive personnel matter. That includes Tirrell approving Smith’s receipt of $140,000 in pro bono legal fees from Covington & Burling that he disclosed upon concluding his investigation,” the outlet added.
Conservative commentator Julie Kelly provided further context, posting on social media, “Tirrell, among other things, reviewed disclosure reports by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Reports indicate he reviewed–and perhaps approved–Smith receiving $140k in pro bono legal services from Covington & Burling after the president won in 2024.”
Do you trust Pam Bondi?
“Would be good to find out what other ‘ethical’ conduct Tirrell signed off on,” she further stated.
Joseph Tirrell is the latest to get the ax at DOJ–so of course he must post a sanctimonious and ominous-sounding screed on LinkedIn. (Can these DOJ employees please get over themselves)
Tirrell, among other things, reviewed disclosure reports by Special Counsel Jack Smith.… pic.twitter.com/KGbiq95ERE
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) July 14, 2025
According to his official DOJ profile, Tirrell assumed the position of director of the Ethics Office in July 2023. He also served in the FBI for more than a decade before coming to the Ethics Office in 2018.
Bondi’s decision comes as she faces scrutiny for her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, including the fallout of the administration announcing in a memo last week that there exists no “client list.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly took Friday off after clashing with Bondi at the White House over the matter.
Some conservatives are calling for Bondi to resign after she indicated earlier this year that she had the “Epstein list” on her desk.
In February, shortly after being confirmed as attorney general, Fox News host John Roberts asked Bondi, “The DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients. Will that really happen?”
“It’s sitting right now on my desk to review,” she responded.
“That’s been a directive by President [Donald] Trump,” Bondi continued. “I’m reviewing that. I’m reviewing JFK files, MLK files. That’s all in the process of being reviewed, because that was done at the directive of the president [regarding] all of these agencies.”
Bondi addressed her February statement during a Cabinet meeting last week, saying she meant the Epstein file, along with the JFK and MLK files, as she said during the interview. The attorney general emphasized that she was not trying to confirm that an Epstein client list existed.
Attorney General Pam Bondi responds to critics about the Jeffrey Epstein files and client list during cabinet meeting at the White House. What’s your take? pic.twitter.com/qUTlvFaMBJ
— Oreo Express (@OreoExpress) July 8, 2025
Trump waded into the controversy over the weekend, posting on Truth Social, “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
“We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.”
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.12.25 05:21 PM EST pic.twitter.com/BGTuzOV9Xd
— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 12, 2025
Apparently addressing the issue of whether his administration is engaging in a cover-up, Trump asked, “Why didn’t these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn’t they use it?”
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