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Phillip Halpern, formerly an assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego, is leaving the Department of Justice after more than three decades as a public official.
Halpern explained the motivations behind his decision in an op-ed piece for the San Diego Tribune published Wednesday, and primarily cited U.S. Attorney General William Barr's conduct during President Donald Trump's term in office.
"After 36 years, I'm fleeing what was the U.S. Department of Justice — where I proudly served 19 different attorneys general and six different presidents," Halpern wrote, noting his respect for federal leaders was consistent regardless of their political affiliations.
"I always believed the department's past leaders were dedicated to the rule of law and the guiding principle that justice is blind," he continued. "That is a bygone era, but it should not be forgotten."
Halpern went on to detail his concerns about Barr's allegiance to and defense of Trump, suggesting the attorney general's "obedience" in that regard has undermined the federal justice system and stood against the American people's best interests. He referenced multiple instances in which Barr allegedly abused his influence to support the president's actions.
Among other examples, Halpern mentioned the attorney general's characterization of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on the Russia investigation—which others have criticized—in Wednesday's piece for the Tribune.
"I fervently hoped that Attorney General William Barr's preemptive misrepresentation of special counsel Robert Mueller's report was an honest mistake or a solitary misstep — rather than a deliberate attempt to conceal potential presidential misconduct," he said.
Halpern additionally highlighted the ways Barr allegedly furthered Trump's unsubstantiated claims about mail-in ballots, as well as his involvement in high profile cases against Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone.
"Barr also turned his back on the rule of law by supporting the president's selective use of federal troops to assault citizens protesting the killing of George Floyd in Portland, Oregon," Halpern wrote, discussing the attorney general's role in deploying federal officers—at Trump's request—in response to ongoing protests against racism and police violence following Floyd's death while in police custody last May.
"Yet he stood silently by when armed right-wing protesters stormed the Michigan state Capitol building to protest the Democratic governor's public health order," noted the former assistant U.S. attorney.
Halpern's comments about Barr's conduct under the Trump administration echoed findings included in a recent report by a bipartisan group of lawyers from University of Pennsylvania's Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law and Citizens for Responsibility in Washington. The report, released on Monday, called for Barr's impeachment and requested that Congress open an inquiry into alleged abuses of power, obstruction of Congress, and obstruction of justice.
Newsweek reached out to the Justice Department for comment, but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
