New DOJ Civil Division head directs staff to focus on conservative priorities

FIRST ON FOX: The newly confirmed head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division sent out a memo hours after being sworn in on Wednesday in which he directed staff to prioritize investigations and bring legal action that involved a slate of conservative priorities, including rooting out antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate’s internal memo, first obtained by Fox News Digital, also directed attorneys in the DOJ’s largest division to focus on tightening restrictions on transgender medical care and denaturalizing citizens who “illegally procured” naturalization.

The memo outlined what areas the Civil Division’s lawsuits would center on, bringing proactive litigation to the fore in a division that is otherwise largely focused on defense.

The primary task of the division is defending the government in court in non-criminal matters. These include the hundreds of lawsuits President Donald Trump and his administration have been hit with as Trump carries out executive actions that test the limits of presidential authority.

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Assistant Attorney General for Civil Division Brett A. Shumate speaks during the investiture ceremony for U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden April 13, 2018, at the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Civil Division attorneys from the Federal Programs Bench have been fighting court battles with mixed success on behalf of Trump related to his sweeping tariffs, birthright citizenship, activities by the Department of Government Efficiency, and, most recently, his use of the National Guard in California.

Shumate was confirmed by the Senate on Monday along party lines.

The Civil Division head was seen during the confirmation process as a Trump loyalist. He previously worked as a partner at Jones Day, a Washington-based firm that has represented Trump during his campaigns. Shumate was a top official in the Civil Division for two years during the first Trump administration.

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Shumate’s memo indicated that he wanted to kick off his first day in office by setting a tone for the division’s wealth of attorneys that aligned with Trump’s and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s agendas.

The Justice Department seal behind a podium in the department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2023. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)

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In an unusual move, the division will also coordinate with the Civil Rights Division on its anti-DEI efforts by bringing False Claims Act cases related to discrimination, Shumate noted in the memo. Trump has frequently described DEI as discriminatory.

“Consistent with these directives, the Civil Division will use all available resources to pursue affirmative litigation combatting unlawful discriminatory practices in the private sector,” Shumate wrote.