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Prosecutors resign as DOJ pressures them to investigate widow

DOJ prosecutors

US Attorney Joe Thompson and five other prosecutors have reportedly quit the US Department of Justice (DOJ) following undue pressure to investigate Renee Good and those around her, including her grieving widow.

DOJ prosecutors dramatically quit

Six federal prosecutors have quit the DOJ in a shared refusal to ignore political interference from the Trump administration. Reports suggest that an investigation was ordered into Renee Good and associations, with a clear intention to investigate Good’s widow instead of the ICE agents responsible for her murder.

This comes after reports that Trump’s MAGA officials have resisted a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, instead choosing to limit the role of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The decision not to pursue a typical civil rights probe, excluding local and state authorities, has sparked widespread public outrage, with many Americans saying it undermines their safety and civil rights. That sense of alarm appears to be shared by prosecutors within the DOJ, who were formally tasked with ensuring accountability in Good’s death and have publicly expressed their frustration by resigning.

This pro-MAGA account on X seeks to downplay the horrific incident, asserting that no crime was committed against Good, despite the fact that she was shot in the face while driving away. They also dismiss a legitimate civil rights investigation as a “waste” of resources:

However, this X post shows a petition gaining traction in support of the prosecutors’ principled commitment to justice, highlighting how swiftly the situation is developing – at that stage, only three had officially resigned:

According to Reuters, a further six federal prosecutors have signaled their intention to leave the U.S. Justice Department, suggesting that this emerging walkout could be the start of a broader exodus.

The Resistance Is Building

This apparent exodus of public officials will stand alongside others in future history books, illustrating the power of ordinary people to resist state oppression and the slide toward fascism. For instance, the UK has seen its own foreign office officials resign in protest at the government’s ongoing complicity in genocide and refusal to halt arm sales to Israel.

This serves as an inspiring reminder that people have power, and that state oppression must be resisted even when you are not its immediate target.

Featured image via the Canary

By Maddison Wheeldon

This post was originally published on Canary.