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Department of Justice civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon resigned November 5
November 6, 2026
New York Post reports that Department of Justice civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon resigned November 5, two days after the GOP took a shellacking in the midterm elections.
Fox News reports that Lesley Stahl, host of CBS' "60 Minutes," had asked Dhillon.
Key facts
- According to NYT, Kristen Clarke said, “From Day 1, Harmeet Dhillon abdicated her responsibility to enforce our nation’s federal civil rights laws and destroyed the crown jewel of the Justice Department”.
- According to NYT, Dhillon said, “I resigned three weeks ago, and Susie asked me to please wait until after the midterms”.
New York Post reports that Department of Justice civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon resigned November 5, two days after the GOP took a shellacking in the midterm elections. According to Fox News, Dhillon said she informed Wiles three weeks before Election Day that she believed she had "accomplished everything" she came to Washington to do and wanted to return to private practice. Dhillon moved to Washington following the deaths of her husband and father to "serve my country," but after roughly two years in the administration, she believed the time has come to leave. Harmeet Dhillon, the Republican attorney who oversaw a massive overhaul of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, submitted her resignation November 5, NBC News reports. Dhillon was a regular presence on conservative media in the run-up to Tuesday’s elections, promoting the work of the Civil Rights Division. NBC News reports that Dhillon is set to speak at the Donald Trump Ballroom at the Mar-a-Lago Club during the Conservative Political Action Committee’s Circle Retreat and Gala on Thursday. Dhillon formally submitted her resignation, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital on November 5. According to The New York Times, Harmeet Dhillon, the chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, resigned on November 5 after conflicts with department leaders, including disagreements over legal strategy in the midterm elections, two people familiar with the situation said.
Fox News reports that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon is resigning as head of the Justice Department'sCivil Rights Division, telling Fox News Digital exclusively that she made the decision weeks before Republicans' midterm losses and was asked by White House chief of staff Susie Wiles to delay her departure until after the election.
Fox News reports that Lesley Stahl, host of CBS' "60 Minutes," had asked Dhillon.
The New York Times and NYT agree that Glenn Thrush and Michael C. Bender reported from Washington, and Alan Feuer from New York. Her office also filed lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, D.C., in an effort to obtain voter registration lists from the states in the months before the election, with federal judges dismissing 27 of those cases, NBC News reports. Fox News reports that "I resigned three weeks ago, and Susie asked me to please wait until after the midterms." US judge temporarily blocks Trump’s Washington arch, Reuters reports.
According to Fox News, Todd Blanche said, "She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favor. The Department is grateful for her dedicated public service, and we wish her every success in her future endeavors."
Todd Blanche
Still developing
NBC News reports that her office also filed lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, D.C., in an effort to obtain voter registration lists from the states in the months before the election, with federal judges dismissing 27 of those cases. Fox News reports that "I resigned three weeks ago, and Susie asked me to please wait until after the midterms." US judge temporarily blocks Trump’s Washington arch, Reuters reports.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- Fox News — DOJ civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon resigns, says White House asked her to wait until after midterms
- NBC News — Head of DOJ Civil Rights Division resigns after GOP midterms loss
- New York Post — Harmeet Dhillon resigns as top DOJ civil rights official - New York Post
- NPR — Head of Justice Department's Civil Rights Division resigns
- The New York Times — Harmeet Dhillon, Leader of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Unit, Resigns - The New York Times
- Reuters — Trump ally Dhillon, who remade DOJ civil rights unit, resigns | Reuters
Toggle read the full reports of 6 of the 8 outlets counted on this event. The other 2 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.