• Sunita Doddamani, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan, has sued the U.S. Department of Justice alleging her April 13 firing was politically motivated and retaliatory.
  • The complaint says Doddamani was dismissed without advance notice, due process, or stated cause, and identifies the unstated reason as her work prosecuting eight anti-abortion activists under the FACE Act.
  • At least two other prosecutors who worked FACE Act cases were fired the same day, the lawsuit says, and the Justice Department publicly announced it had “terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act.”
  • The complaint names Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department among seven defendants and seeks reinstatement, backpay, and a declaration that Doddamani’s First Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and civil-service rights were violated.

Suit ties dismissal to FACE Act work as DOJ narrows enforcement

Sunita Doddamani, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan, filed suit against the U.S. Department of Justice on August 17, alleging that her April 13 dismissal was “politically motivated and retaliatory” and violated the Civil Service Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the First and Fifth Amendments.

The complaint, which names Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department among seven defendants, says Doddamani was fired without advance notice, due process, or cause, and that the “unstated reason” was her work prosecuting eight anti-abortion activists for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act. The statute, enacted in the early 1990s, prohibits intentionally interfering with reproductive health care services, including abortions.

The complaint characterizes the dismissal as part of a broader pattern, alleging that “unlawful terminations are a frequent tool of the Trump Administration to achieve its political aims” and that DOJ officials have “repeatedly attempted to justify firings and workforce reductions by portraying the employees targeted as culpable for the now-disfavored cases they had been assigned.”

According to the lawsuit, at least two other prosecutors who worked FACE Act cases were dismissed the same day Doddamani was. The Justice Department publicly announced that it had “terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department,” the complaint says. A day later, the department released a report accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the FACE Act against anti-abortion activists.

Doddamani has “suffered adverse and harmful effects” from her firing, including lost or jeopardized present or future financial opportunities and reputational harm, according to the complaint. The suit seeks a declaration that her rights were violated, an order requiring the government to reinstate her and provide backpay, and other relief.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the lawsuit beyond referring back to its April social media post announcing the FACE Act personnel terminations.

The Doddamani suit is the latest to be lodged by a former career Justice Department employee alleging they lost their jobs for improper political reasons.

The lawsuit lands against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s narrowing of FACE Act enforcement. Early in President Trump’s second term, the Justice Department said it would no longer enforce FACE Act violations except in extraordinary circumstances, such as cases involving death or serious property damage. Trump separately pardoned 23 people convicted under the statute.

Supporters of the FACE Act have said the law was necessary to stem the rising tide of violence against abortion clinics and providers. Opponents have argued it infringes on the free speech rights of abortion opponents.