The U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division has seen a significant influx of new attorneys amid ongoing staffing challenges under the Trump administration. Since early 2025, more than 300 experienced career employees have departed the division following its leadership change, as Harmeet Dhillon reoriented the unit toward an agenda aligned with President Trump’s priorities. This reshaping has led to the hiring of approximately 130 new lawyers, many of whom bring conservative perspectives, and in some cases, backgrounds and histories that would have raised concerns under previous administrations.
Among the recent hires are individuals with varied and sometimes controversial records. For example, Khalil H. Quinan, a former Florida state prosecutor, was removed from a high-profile murder case after a judge found he improperly accessed privileged defense documents. Another appointee, Barry Arrington, a gun rights advocate known for opposing evolution theory and same-sex marriage, now serves as acting chief of the division’s newly minted Second Amendment unit.
Other recruits include David Michael Levin, a conservative lawyer and businessman with a misdemeanor conviction related to hacking a local election system in Florida in 2015 and 2016. Levin accompanied Justice Department officials during recent election monitoring activities, drawing criticism from some lawmakers concerned about the politicization of voter oversight efforts. Senator Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warned that assigning politically motivated personnel to election monitoring roles risks eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
Eric Neff, temporarily leading the voting section, has a background as a California prosecutor with over 50 criminal jury trials, though his career has faced controversy, including a suspended indictment involving allegations of data mismanagement. His appointment was defended by DOJ spokeswoman Kiersten Pels, who highlighted his prosecutorial experience and investigative journalism background.
Additional hires have sparked scrutiny due to their public statements or legal controversies. James Breslo, a former gambling executive and podcast host with a history of promoting conspiracy theories, joined the division’s legal team tackling discrimination claims against the University of California, Los Angeles. Daniel Flickinger, who was dismissed from a private law firm in 2020 after making contentious remarks about George Floyd’s death, currently works on education cases.
Peter Feaman, a senior counsel from Florida with a record of far-right political commentary, including claims that COVID-19 vaccinations were a form of “mark of the beast” and characterizing the January 6 Capitol attack as a false-flag operation, remains employed despite the resurfacing of these posts. DOJ officials have emphasized a distinction between employees’ personal social media activity and their professional responsibilities.
The Justice Department’s personnel office reportedly reviews and approves all hires, with officials noting that many candidates have faced rejection. Department spokespeople stress that the new attorneys collectively possess extensive courtroom experience, including prosecuting cases involving human trafficking and achieving victories at the Supreme Court. Dhillon has defended the hiring process as necessary to diversify the division’s ranks, stating that previous recruitment had been too narrowly focused on progressive activists.
Critics argue that the staffing changes and the background of some recent hires may undermine the civil rights division’s impartiality and effectiveness, particularly in light of expanded efforts to pursue voter fraud investigations and deploy election monitors nationwide. Supporters maintain that the division requires seasoned trial lawyers and that the new appointees bring valuable legal expertise despite their political or personal histories.
As the civil rights division continues its work amid this transformation, questions remain about the impact of these personnel decisions on its mission to enforce federal civil rights laws across the United States.