Bondi ousts top ethics official at the Justice Department

Washington — Attorney General Pam Bondi last week ousted the senior ethics attorney at the Justice Department who advised her and other senior officials on employee ethics, the latest firing that has come amid an ongoing purge of department employees.

Joseph Tirrell, who was director of the Departmental Ethics Office, wrote in a post on LinkedIn that he received a letter signed by Bondi on Friday informing him that he had been removed from his position. The letter stated that his employment with the Justice Department "is hereby terminated, and you are removed from federal service effective immediately."

Tirrell wrote that in his role as the director of the Departmental Ethics Office, he was responsible for advising Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on employee ethics and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the department's ethics program.