Ahead of Hearing with Attorney General, Welch Demands Answers on Politicization of Civil Rights Division; Hiring Practices

Oct 7, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Ahead of today’s oversight hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi,U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.),a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, called for answers on the weaponization of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Senator Welch’s letter was sent to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who has led the Civil Rights Division since April 2025 and reports directly to the Attorney General.
Instead of enforcing longstanding laws that prohibit discrimination, Assistant AG Dhillon has directed the sections of the Civil Rights Division to pursue President Trump’s policy and political goals. The Senator specifically called out several actions and new policy directives Ms. Dillon has issued to the Division.
“Soon after being confirmed to lead the Division, you issued new policy directives to the Division’s sections instructing staff to ‘zealous[ly] and faithful[ly]’ pursue President Trump’s objectives by prioritizing the enforcement of the President’s Executive Orders and reinterpreting long-standing statutes to achieve political goals,”wrote Senator Welch. “In response, the Division has dropped a series of long running civil rights cases, including a decades-old consent decree that enforced desegregation of a Louisiana school, several voting rights cases addressing racial discrimination, and a case alleging child sexual abuse by a housing provider for unaccompanied migrant children.”
The Senator then turned to how the hiring process has been politicized, raising concerns about the decimation of career staff at the Department and highlighting instances in which political considerations may have influenced hiring decisions. He demanded answers about hiring practices at the Civil Rights Division, including whether the Division is following Inspector General recommendations regarding hiring and who is overseeing the hiring process at the Division.
Senator Welch requested answers to the following questions by October 30, 2025:
Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the rule of law and efforts to undermine the Department of Justice. In July, Senator WelchdenouncedPresident Trump’s attacks on DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, including the Administration’s plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at the division. The Senator also led all five of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Constitution Subcommittee, plus Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin, indemanding answersfrom DOJ concerning the Trump Administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
During President Trump’s first week in office, Senator Welchslammedthe President’s plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and suggestions that it would sideline police reform agreements established by the Biden Administration.
Read and downloadthe full text of the Senator’s letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.
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