Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded restrictions that barred political appointees at the Justice Department from attending campaign events or fundraisers, according to a memo obtained by CBS News. The policy reversal undoes limitations implemented by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 that prohibited appointees from participating in any partisan political event, even on Election Day.

Federal employees already face constraints under the Hatch Act, which limits political activities to prevent government partisanship. Prior to Garland's policy, appointees could attend certain partisan events in their personal capacity with departmental approval. Garland's 2022 amendments expanded restrictions to include events involving close family members running for office.

The policy tightening followed an investigation into whether then-U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins violated the Hatch Act by attending a Democratic fundraiser with first lady Jill Biden. Rollins resigned after the Department of Justice inspector general found she engaged in multiple ethical violations, including making false statements and misusing her position.