US Attorney General Pam Bondi has dismissed a Justice Department employee for making a vulgar gesture at National Guard members deployed in Washington DC. The employee, Elizabeth Baxter, was a paralegal in the department's environmental defence section.
In a termination memo, Bondi stated: 'Based on your inappropriate conduct towards National Guard service members, your employment with the Department of Justice is hereby terminated, and you are removed from federal service effective immediately.' The New York Post first reported the dismissal on Friday.
Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin confirmed the story on X, while another spokesperson, Gates McGarvick, wrote: 'Very simple: if you don’t support law enforcement, @AGPamBondi’s DOJ might not be a good fit.' Reuters could not immediately contact Baxter, who reportedly raised her middle finger and uttered vulgarities at National Guard members on 18 August and later disparaged the troops.
President Donald Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard members to Washington this month, declaring a crime emergency and announcing a temporary federal takeover of the city's police department. Trump has portrayed the capital as crime-ridden, though Justice Department data shows violent crime hit a 30-year low last year in Washington.
The US government also dispatched agents from numerous agencies, including the FBI, to patrol the capital's streets. Following a legal challenge, the Trump administration negotiated a deal with Mayor Muriel Bowser to keep Police Chief Pamela Smith in charge of operations.
