The Biden administration is being accused of using non-competitive hiring practices to “Trump-proof” the Department of Justice (DOJ) ahead of a possible Trump victory in 2024. Protect the Public’s Trust, an independent watchdog group, says the administration is utilizing Schedule A hiring authority to install civil servants without going through the usual competitive process.
Protect the Public’s Trust director Michael Chamberlain explained that this hiring authority allows the administration to place attorneys and judges in key roles without the standard job listing process. “Once these appointees serve two years, they become career civil servants with protections, making it difficult for a future president to remove them,” Chamberlain said.
The watchdog group’s findings show that the administration has hired over 100 immigration judges and more than 150 attorneys in the DOJ’s Antitrust Division through Schedule A. These positions are critical to advancing the Biden administration’s progressive priorities, including immigration reform and corporate regulation.
Chamberlain warned that this tactic, combined with the administration’s rush to finalize federal regulations on climate change, healthcare, and abortion, is part of a broader strategy to cement progressive policies before the 2024 election. Critics argue that these actions will limit a future Trump administration’s ability to reverse Biden’s agenda.
The White House has not responded to the watchdog group’s allegations, but the issue has raised concerns about the increasing politicization of civil service appointments within the federal government.
