On July 14, 2025, it was announced that two-thirds of the attorneys in the Department of Justice that were charged with defending Trump policies in court have resigned. 69 of the 110 lawyers in the Federal Programs Branch have voluntarily left or plan to leave soon. They are demoralized and exhausted. They came to defend the constitution not destroy it. They feared they would be pressured to misrepresent facts or legal issues that could get them disbarred.
I was involved with others in ethics complaints against the lawyers who filed fraudulent lawsuits after the 2020 election. We had zero success in AZ, but it did work elsewhere. Kenneth Chesebro, the main coordinator of the “fake elector” plot, was disbarred in NY for his part in trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, and John Eastman, another central figure in 2020, was disbarred in California. So in some states, the DOJ lawyers could get disbarred.
Those who left include 10 of 23 supervisors who have served many presidential administrations. Trump himself has fired or sidelined dozens of lawyers specializing in national security and corruption – no surprise there. 15 political appointees were brought in to help. The DOJ lawyers often had little or no information about why or when the actions took place. It is rather hard to defend in that case.
“AG” Bondi already threatened them if they don’t toe the line. The administration already fired a supervisor over representation in the Kilmar Abrigo case who then filed a whistleblower complaint.
Some of the DOJ lawyers did not want to participate in the lawsuits targeting law firms. As it turns out, those firms who took those deals are being investigated for bribery as they paid something to a government official to get government contracts. That’s called bribery and is illegal. Senator Jamie Raskin is leading the investigation into these crimes. The firms themselves are suffering with staff leaving, law students and new lawyers refusing to come, and clients deserting saying – well if they won’t stand up for themselves, how will they stand up for me? So while the firms claimed they feared losing the firms, they lost them anyhow. That is what happens when you try to appease a bully.
Attacks on women
United Inn and Suites in Decatur, GA was just hit July 11 with a $40 million verdict for a trafficking victim who was raped more than 200 times at the facility. She was 16 when she was trafficked there between 2018 and 2019. This suit was about a 40-day period only. Imagine being raped 200 times in 40 days.
She was awarded $10 million in compensatory and $30 million in punitive damages. Northbrook Industries, Inc. owns and operates the motel. If you want to let them know what you think about this, see below. I note they don’t have a link to a website. Wonder why? NorthBrook Industries Inc, 4649 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032, CEO Harsimran Sabharwal, 404-836-8100.
Hotel staff knew and ignored. A BOLO (Be on The Lookout) alert that included the victim’s name, age, and photo was delivered to the hotel. They did nothing. They sold condoms to her from the front desk. They knew she was in the room alone and saw 20 men go in and out every 30 minutes. They did nothing. Police had told the hotel they were one of the top five trafficking destination spots. They did nothing.
The lawsuit was brought under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) that allows survivors to sue traffickers and buyers but also those who facilitate and profit like hotels, taxi drivers etc.
In September 2024, a federal judge had ruled that the insurance company had to defend Northbrook Industries in the case. The insurance company had argued such behavior did not come under the policy. The judge ruled it was bodily injury and personal and advertising injury because of false imprisonment which comes squarely under the insurance policy. The “abuse and molestation” exclusion in the policy did not apply because the victim’s injuries were not just from “abuse and molestation.” The “assault and battery” exclusion didn’t apply because she didn’t allege physical force was used.
Attacks on pregnant women
States that ban abortion have worse health care outcomes for mothers and babies. This is no surprise to most of us. An American Journal of American Preventive Medicine reported that expectant mothers in states that ban abortion are more often uninsured, have less access to routine health care, and unable to afford a doctor. They are forced into pregnancy and then denied the supports needed.
This will get worse with the bill just passed to slash Medicaid and defund Planned Parenthood that provides many of the needed services. The worst states were – no surprise – Texas, Arkansas, and Florida.
The bans have resulted in horrific consequences for women and girls including the 10-year-old rape victim who fled to Indiana from Ohio to have an abortion; in Texas more than one woman denied care for a miscarriage and nearly dying of sepsis in the emergency room; another who fled the state to get the care needed; doctors fleeing Idaho because they are prohibited from saving a woman’s life unless she’s dying enough; in Florida a woman forced to carry a fetus with no skull; in Alabama where judges granted frozen embryos legal rights but denied them to living women.
How do we survive the barrage of attacks?
The other night I was watching Atlantic Crossing, a PBS show about WWII. When the ship carrying the Norwegian “royal” family came into New York harbor with the iconic shot of the Statue of Liberty, I burst out crying. I know our nation was based on genocide and slavery and has many flaws. But that statue was a symbol of hope that we could do better. That hope has been smashed.
A few months ago, I was surprised to hear there is such a thing as “broken heart syndrome.” It’s a heart condition brought on by stress and extreme emotion. It’s usually temporary. I think I might have that. A broken heart over the lost aspirations, the lost hope, the lost naivety, the lost future. So what do we do?
We fight the fascist agenda in whatever way we can with the talents and abilities we have in the circle that we travel in, and we donate if we can to larger causes especially all the lawsuits. We build that future we hope to see by creating communities and neighborhoods in our own lives that embody those values we hold dear. We talk to our neighbors, we hold block parties, we educate others, we treat everyone with kindness, we speak up whenever we see racism or intolerance of any kind – don’t let it pass. By expanding the communities we want to create, there is less room for the negative communities to exist.
We keep ourselves sane and happy and do not let fascism have any free rent in your brain. The best revenge is living well and being happy. That does not mean being blissfully ignorant of reality, but doing your part while building your own life with the values that we cherish.