Attorney General Ellison demands that federal attorneys adhere to ethics standards

Ellison leads multi-state coalition in filing comment letter opposing rule proposal by department of justice that weakens misconduct discipline process

April 7, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison led a coalition of 22 Attorneys General in filing a comment letter opposing a proposed rule by the Department of Justice (DOJ) that seeks to limit state bar disciplinary proceedings related to alleged ethical misconduct by DOJ attorneys.

If the proposed rule were adopted, the Justice Department may be able to request that state bar organizations pause any investigation or disciplinary proceeding involving DOJ attorneys. States that decline such a request may be subject to undefined retaliatory actions by the federal government.

“In Minnesota, we have seen DOJ attorneys resign en masse and we have seen orders from our Chief Judge noting the frequency with which the federal government has violated court orders,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Now more than ever, it is important for DOJ attorneys to know they are held to the same ethical and professional standards as any other attorneys, and will not be insulated or immunized based on political loyalties. The last thing in the world any member of the Trump regime needs is protections from the consequences of unethical behavior.”

The licensing and regulation of lawyers has been handled by the States since the Nation’s founding. Federal law specifies that DOJ attorneys are subject to State laws and rules in the same manner as other attorneys in that State. This comment letter seeks to hold DOJ attorneys to that basic standard and pushes back on DOJ’s attempts to circumvent that process.

Attorney General Ellison led the multi-state coalition in filing the letter. In addition to Attorney General Ellison, the letter was signed by the attorneys general of the District of Columbia, Colorado, New Jersey, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.