WASHINGTON (AP) — A former career Justice Department prosecutor is challenging his firing by the White House, saying it was for “unprecedented partisan and political reasons” and undermines a “bedrock principle” of the justice system after he was dismissed following a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer.
Adam Schleifer, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, was fired without explanation last month in an email from a White House official. It came exactly one hour after Loomer, a conservative internet personality known for incendiary comments, called for his removal in a social media post highlighting his past critical views about Trump while running in a Democratic primary for a New York congressional seat.
In a filing with the Merit Systems Protection Board — which is responsible for protecting government employees from political reprisals — Schleifer argues he was unlawfully fired in retaliation for protected political speech from a time when he wasn’t working as a government lawyer. He’s seeking reinstatement, back pay and other relief.
“Nothing in Mr. Schleifer’s conduct as a private citizen would cast any doubt on his commitment to defend the Constitution and the rule of law and to advance the impartial administration of justice,” Schleifer said in the filing obtained by The Associated Press. Schleifer declined to comment to the AP on Monday.
An email seeking comment was sent to the White House.
At the time of his firing, Schleifer was working on a corporate & securities fraud strike force at the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles. He was prosecuting a fraud case against Andrew Wiederhorn, the former CEO of Fat Brands Inc., who donated during the presidential campaign to groups supporting Trump.
While dozens of Justice Department lawyers have resigned, been pushed out or fired in the weeks since Trump took office, Schleifer’s firing was highly unusual because it was carried out by the White House rather than department leadership. Unlike political appointees, rank-and-file career prosecutors usually stay across presidential administrations and have civil service protections designed to shield them from firings for political reasons.
Loomer has set out to identify members of the administration she has deemed insufficiently loyal to the president’s agenda. Shortly after Schleifer’s termination, Trump fired some National Security Council officials after Loomer met with the president in the Oval Office and raised concerns about staff loyalty.
