Incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed the Department of Justice’s senior ethics attorney shortly after he advised her on rules prohibiting the acceptance of gifts from international entities, according to a report and a personal account from the fired official. The move has raised questions about the new administration’s approach to federal ethics compliance at the highest levels of the Justice Department.
A Sudden Dismissal
Joseph Tirrell, the attorney responsible for overseeing ethics compliance across the agency, was nearing the end of a July vacation when he received an email from the Department of Justice on his personal account. The notice, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, misspelled his name as “Jospeh W Tirrell,” and did not provide a reason for his termination. According to a report by The Guardian, Tirrell’s bosses initially seemed as surprised as he was before confirming his removal from the payroll.
Tirrell, 51, joined the FBI as an ethics lawyer in 2006 before moving to the Justice Department in 2018. In his role, he fielded requests about conflicts of interest, including whether employees could accept certain gifts or attend events.
Focus on Gifts and Appearances
Tirrell notes that early interactions with Bondi and her chief of staff appeared focused on questions of whether the attorney general could accept commemorative challenge coins from subordinates. “There seemed to be a lot of importance by these officials placed on [the] appearance of them getting stuff, on the appearance of them showing their willingness to accept that gift,” Tirrell said.
He recalls advising Bondi during training: “We’ve pretty much said you can’t accept gifts from employees unless it’s your birthday or Christmas or Hanukkah or a similar kind of holiday where people give gifts,” adding that “We spent more time than I thought was warranted on … whether or not you could accept a challenge coin from whomever.”
Ethical Concerns Over International Gifts
The attorney said his first significant concern arose when Bondi received a box of cigars from mixed martial artist Conor McGregor. The gift’s value exceeded what Bondi could accept under department ethics rules. Tirrell presented three options: reimburse McGregor, send the gift back, or destroy it.
“Immediately I got the sense they were reluctant to send things back or destroy stuff,” said Tirrell, recounting the administration’s response: “’No, we can’t send it back. I mean what does that say?’”
Later, Bondi received gifts from FIFA, the international soccer governing body. This was notable as, only a decade prior, the Department of Justice had launched a major 47-count indictment against 14 FIFA officials for racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies. Tirrell stated Bondi received a scarf and a 2025 World Cup soccer ball from the organization.
Subsequently, he learned Bondi was likely to be invited to a FIFA Club World Cup final in July. He advised her that ethics rules prohibited her and her staff from accepting tickets to the event. A week later, he was fired. Two days after his dismissal, Bondi was photographed at the game with former President Donald Trump.
“Maybe the attorney general paid for that ticket or a ticket of her spouse, right?” Tirrell said. “… But, you know, come on, I know that’s not the case.”
A Career in Public Service
In a detailed LinkedIn post, Tirrell outlined his quarter-century career in public service, which began as a United States Naval Officer. After his military service, he earned a law degree and entered the FBI through the Presidential Management Fellows Program in 2006. He eventually rose to become the Director of the Departmental Ethics Office in 2023, a Senior Executive Service position.
Reflecting on his dismissal, Tirrell wrote, “I think the reason to fire the senior ethics attorney at DOJ is pretty clear. It’s to send a message. The message is: ‘Do what we tell you to do, or you’ll lose your job.’”
He reaffirmed his commitment to his oath of office, stating, “That oath did not come with the caveat that I need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient.” He concluded his post by quoting Martin Luther King Jr. on the moral universe bending toward justice and Edmund Burke on the necessity for good people to act.
