Bondi Dismisses DOJ Employee Following Alleged Gesture Towards Guard Troops

Attorney General's Dismissal of Employee

• Incident Overview: Attorney General Pam Bondi terminated paralegal Elizabeth Baxter after she allegedly made an obscene gesture towards National Guard personnel in Washington, D.C.
• Official Statement: Bondi announced the firing on social media, emphasizing that disrespect towards law enforcement would not be tolerated within the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Allegations Against the Employee

• Details of the Incident: Baxter reportedly raised her middle finger and used profanities towards service members on August 18, and later made disparaging remarks about the troops, as detailed in a memo published by The New York Post.

Context of National Guard Deployment

• Trump's Actions: President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of hundreds of National Guard members to D.C. amid a declared crime emergency and a temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
• Public Safety Claims: Trump and his allies have framed the deployment as a success for public safety, despite opposition questioning its necessity and legality.

Crime Statistics and Federal Response

• Crime Rate Decline: Federal statistics indicate that violent crime in Washington, D.C. reached a three-decade low last year, with Trump claiming that the city would soon be a "CRIME FREE ZONE."
• Federal Agency Involvement: In addition to the National Guard, federal agents from various agencies, including the FBI, were deployed across the capital.

Local Government Response

• Legal Challenges: The D.C. attorney general challenged the federal plan, leading to an agreement with Mayor Muriel Bowser that allowed Police Chief Pamela Smith to maintain operational control of the police department.