Sessions is cleaning up the Justice Department

Last year, United States District Judge Andrew Hanen resorted to the unusual step of issuing sanctions against a group of DOJ lawyers for serious ethical violations. These weren’t just any sanctions; Hanen found that because the DOJ lawyers’ ethical lapses were so severe, all DOJ attorneys were ordered to undergo ethics training before they could resume work. Despite admitting that its attorneys had intentionally left out crucial facts, the DOJ had the audacity to oppose both the scope and severity of the sanctions order.

DOJ eventually produced justification for its actions, and the judge begrudgingly suspended the sanctions order. Hanen’s unprecedented actions, however, speak volumes as to the reputation of the Department under the past administration.

Recent steps taken by Attorney General Jeff Sessions seek to restore DOJ to its mission “to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

Sessions announced on June 7 that the DOJ would not settle enforcement actions by allowing companies to pay judgments against them by contributing to special interest groups with no personal interest in cases. This practice, long opposed by lawmakers, was what Sessions referred to as a “bankroll…for the political friends of whoever is in power.”