Former DOJ Prosecutors’ Support for DOJ Prosecutors on Receiving End of Retribution or Other Inappropriate Action from Trump Administration (2/18/25)

I link here a letter from DOJ Prosecutors in support of DOJ attorneys who have been on the receiving end of retribution or other inappropriate action from the Trump Administration. The letter is short--one full page and one short page in communicating the content of the support; the letter then has 39 pages of signatures for former DOJ Prosecutors, listing the DOJ (including AUSA) roles they served. (Among the names listed are those who served in the DOJ Tax Division; can be reviewed by a pdf search for “Tax Division”.)

The letter starts with a statement of values and then states:

Against this backdrop, we have watched with alarm as these values have been tested by recent actions of the Department’s leadership. Some of you have been ordered to make charging decisions based expressly on considerations other than the facts and the law, including to serve solely political purposes. Some of you have been forced to consider whether your actions will result in the elimination of the  Public Integrity Section, created in the wake of the Watergate scandal, and whose vital work is intended to protect the public from government corruption. Several of you have resigned, and others are wondering what will happen to the Department we served and revere.

To all of you, we communicate this: We salute and admire the courage many of you have already exhibited, and that will guide all of you as you continue to serve the interests of justice. You have responded to ethical challenges of a type no public servant should ever be forced to confront with principle and conviction, in the finest traditions of the Department of Justice. We know there will be more challenges ahead, and we have no doubt that those of you who continue to serve will uphold the Department’s values for the sake of the rule of law, just as you have always done. Please know that when you do, generations of former federal prosecutors are watching with pride and admiration and stand ready to support you in this honorable pursuit.

The letter is arranged through the Justice Connection, here. I encourage readers of this blog to go to that website to see how you can contribute. Also, here is a "Toolkit" prepared by Justice Connctions that readers can down load for some ideas.

Deputy AAG Tax Hubbert Removed and Reassigned to Sanctuary City Program (Whatever That Is) (2/7/25; 2/11/25)

DOJ Tax news (at least rumor): David Hubbert, a long-time DOJ Tax attorney serving most recently as the Career Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Tax, has been removed from that position and assigned to the Sanctuary City Program (described to me in an email without the caps here, but I infer that caps are appropriate). I understand that these changes are effective February 17. All I know with reasonable assurance is that Hubbert is being removed from a position where he exhibited exceptional competence for tax litigation and leadership for litigation.

Since I do not know what the purported Sanctuary City Program is or Hubbert’s special competence to serve in any role in that Program, I cannot speak to the issue of what the United States’ needs are that Hubbert is the best DOJ or Trump can field for the position. Since Trump regularly trumpets his ability to pick the best for the positions his administration fills, perhaps someone with authority to speak can articulate a credible explanation for why this move is best for the United States.

In the meantime, the inference I draw is that the reason for this action is some real or perceived injury or slight or some such to Trump and/or some of his close allies or maybe some special real or perceived benefit DOJ Tax gave Trump's arch-enemy Joe Biden. I caution that that is my inference. Others may have different inferences; specifically more evidence-based inferences.

Organizations and Resources for DOJ Personnel Affected by Trump Administration Actions (2/5/25)

I assume that all DOJ Tax Alumni have heard at least some news about the Trump Administration's initial forays into the DOJ iteration of the “deep state.” From the news reports, I infer that there will be action (perhaps retribution) against DOJ attorneys (and perhaps nonattorney personnel) for any activity that affected President Trump in a way that he or his DOJ appointees believe was inappropriate. (My experience is that most criminals think their investigations and prosecutions were inappropriate.)

The purpose of this blog is to post information about projects that support DOJ employees and help them get past this Trump adventure.

1. Protect Democracy, here. Offering the following resources:

• Supporting and Defending the Constitution: A DOJ attorneys guide to upholding ethical obligations and the rule of law, here, with a related web page titled The DOJ attorneys guide to Trump’s Washington (1/16/25), here.
• Protect Democracy’s series on resources for civil servants, Dear Civil Servant, part of PD’s If You Can Keep It newsletter, here.

2. Civil Service Strong, here, with regular updates and with a Resources page, here. Civil Service Strong describes itself:

People, organizations, and communities across the country are joining together to ensure our civil servants have resources if they are targeted or attacked. Alongside the 95% of people who believe civil servants should be hired and promoted based on their merit rather than their political beliefs, we are committed to supporting a career, non-partisan civil service and the people who power it. 

3. Government Accountability Project’s Guide titled  “Truth-Telling in Government: A Guide to Whistleblowing for Federal Employees, Contractors, & Grantees”, here. The Government Accountability Project’s purpose is here.

Death of John Aloysius Stassi II 1/1/25 (1/13/25)

John Stassi of New Orleans died on 1/1/25. His obituary is here. The obit has this about his service with DOJ Tax:

He began his career as a trial lawyer in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and engaged in private practice in New Orleans for more than 50 years.

My database indicates that he was a Trial Attorney in the General Litigation Section 1962-1963. (The dates and other information may be underinclusive, so if anyone has better information, let me know.)

Memories may be added to the obituary site. Appropriate comments may be made to this blog entry using the comment feature. I moderate the comments to approve them for propriety.

Death of Michael Fitzpatrick Cox 12/21/24 (12/28/24)

I picked up Michael Fitzpatrick Cox’s obit, here, with the following cryptic sentence:

Michael held positions in private industry and for the federal government including serving as a trial attorney in the U. S. Department of Justice's tax division.

Cox was not in my master database, so I have no information on his service at the Tax Division. I am posting what I know now from the obit and will email the posting to DOJ Tax Alumni in the hope that some Alumni can provide detail relevant to his DOJ Tax service (e.g., Section(s) served and dates) or, really, his life that may be of interest to Alumni. If anyone has detail, please email to me (jack@tjtaxlaw.com) or post as a comment to this blog entry.

Former AAG Tax Nathan J. Hochman Elected Lost Angeles District Attorney (11/7/24)

Former Tax Assistant Attorney General Nathan J. Hochman, DOJ archive page here, was elected by a landslide for the position of Los Angeles District Attorney. See Evan Symon, Landslide: Hochman Defeats Gascon in LA County DA Race (California Globe 11/6/24), here.

 Congratulations!

Death of Leo M. McCormack 10/9/24 (10/20/24)

Leo M. McCormack died 10/9/24. His obituary is here. The obit discusses his Tax Division career: he “became a trial attorney in the tax division of the U.S. Department of Justice, litigating tax cases for the government.”

My database shows his service as follows:

Civil Trial Section, Trial Attorney, 1955-1959

Death of John "Jack" Tjaden 8/21/24 (9/25/24)

 Jack Tjaden died on 9/20/24. His obituary is here. The obituary recounts his DOJ Tax service as follows: “He worked for the Justice Department for seven years.” 

My database indicates that he served as Trial Attorney in Civil-Northern from 1973 to 1979. 

There was some overlap with my service (1969-1977), but I was in Refund 2 (Southern) and do not recall ever meeting him. He must have been a good guy, the obituary indicating that “He coached his sons in baseball, soccer, and basketball.”

Comments may be made below. I moderate the comments, so appropriate comments will be approved.

Death of John Murray 9/20/24 (9/24/24)

John Murray died on 9/20/24. His obituary is here. The obituary chronicles in summary his DOJ Tax career that is known to all of us but here it is:

He was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, with honors, and its Law School, finishing second in his class. He received an appointment to become a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice. He litigated federal tax cases in United States District Courts throughout the country and argued appeals in federal Circuit Courts. He received promotions through his Justice Department career to his final rank of Deputy Assistant Attorney General. He also served as Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division for nearly a year. Among the many awards he received over his career were the Attorney General’s Award from Robert F. Kennedy and the Distinguished Executive Award presented to him by President Ronald Reagan in a White House ceremony.

I particularly like the following from the obituary:

Blessed with an infectious sense of humor, John loved associating with co-workers, neighbors, friends, and most especially his family. He particularly enjoyed his high school, college, and law school reunions, all of which he faithfully attended, and was a loyal Notre Dame sports fan. Along with his wife, he traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting all fifty states and many international destinations.

The obituary says also:

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:30pm on Thursday, September 26th at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria, Virginia 22309 (a link for the livestreaming is https://youtube.com/live/pAoFZ8KewRo?feature=share). A reception will follow at Mount Vernon Country Club. In lieu of flower donations may be made to Good Shepherd Housing at www.goodhousing,org. or Good Shepherd Housing & Family Services, P.O. Box 1266, Newington, VA 22122.

On a personal note, John was my boss in DOJ Tax Refund 2 in the mid-1970s. He was the best boss I ever had. He was a great mentor and leader. We had a small group of DOJ Tax Refund 2 Alumni who had occasional Zoom sessions for the last few years. He will be missed in that group as well.

Condolences particularly to his wife, Nell, his family, and all of his friends.

Those wishing to do so, please make appropriate comments and please identify yourself rather than appearing anonymously.

Death of Pete Winstead 8/7/24 (8/9/24; 8/12/24)

Pete Winstead died on 8/7/24. See Austin American-Statesman post here. The article is recommended reading for Pete’s contributions to the legal and the broader community. The article discusses his DOJ Tax experience as follows:

As a young lawyer working for the Department of Justice's tax division in Washington, he was sent to Selma, Alabama, to monitor the civil rights march, an event that his law firm said shaped many of the principles he held dear. 

My records indicate that Pete was in Refund 2 (Southern) from 1965 to 1969.

Added 8/10/24 1:30pm: Dallas Morning News Report on his death, here.

Added 8/12/24 5:00pm: Law Firm obit, here, and Dignity obit here. The Dignity obit says:

A service in honor of Pete's life will take place on Monday, August 19, 2024, at The Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, Texas, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with the ceremony beginning at 5:00 PM.

* * * *

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Pete Winstead Endowment for Student Scholars at the UT Austin Dell Medical School through http://give.utexas.edu/, or you may send a check to:

UT Austin Dell Medical School
Health Learning Building
1501 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78712
Attn: Development

You are also welcome to make a donation to the charity of your choice.