Department of Justice Paralegal Terminated for Inappropriate Conduct
Attorney General Pam Bondy announced on Friday that a paralegal from the Department of Justice has been dismissed following several incidents of misconduct involving a National Guard member in Washington, D.C.
Bondy clarified that Elizabeth Baxter, who worked as a paralegal within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, was removed after an internal review uncovered multiple inappropriate interactions with National Guard personnel.
According to Bondy, Baxter acknowledged having made an indecent gesture toward a DOJ security guard on August 18th, which occurred at the Metro Center Station. In addition, there were reports of her verbally insulting the guard. Later that same day, there were claims that surveillance footage captured Baxter making another offensive gesture outside the DOJ’s “4CON” building and yelling at the guard.
A week later, on August 25th, Baxter allegedly repeated similar insults toward DOJ security guards as she entered the building. The investigation involved examining witness statements and security video footage.
In a memorandum issued on Friday evening regarding her dismissal, Bondy wrote that Baxter’s actions represented “inappropriate conduct against members of the National Security Force.” The termination took immediate effect and detailed Baxter’s role as a paralegal in the Environmental Defense Section. The memorandum also mentioned Baxter’s right to appeal the decision through the Merit Systems Protection Committee within 30 days.
Bondy confirmed the termination in a social media post, stating, “Today we took action to terminate DOJ employees due to inappropriate conduct against DC National Guard members. The Justice Department is committed to defending President Trump’s agenda and working to make America safe.”
This firing followed the recent termination of another DOJ employee, Shawn Charles Dunn. Earlier this month, Dunn allegedly threw a sandwich at a federal officer and was accused of publicly shaming Washington law enforcement. He was charged with misdemeanor assault after the grand jury declined to indict him on felony counts.
Bondy had previously mentioned that these actions were part of her initiative to restore accountability within the Department of Justice. She commented that this situation reflects a long-standing issue the department has been addressing over the past several months while attempting to refocus its priorities.
This move comes amidst President Trump’s push for federal law and order initiatives in D.C. Recently, Trump invoked federal authority over the Metropolitan Police Department and reinvigorated the National Guard’s role.
Since then, Bondy has pointed out that over 1,000 arrests were made and more than 100 illegal firearms were confiscated, contributing to a notable decrease in violent crime in Washington. Both Trump and senior officials, including Bondy, have publicly expressed their appreciation for the security personnel and their contributions, even hosting a pizza and burger dinner for them earlier this month.
