WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sunita Doddamani filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday. The lawsuit argues that Doddamani's termination was driven by unlawful political retaliation.

Doddamani, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan, was fired in April. She was one of at least three career prosecutors who lost their jobs in April. On the day of her firing, Doddamani lost access to her DOJ phone and email and was escorted out of the building.

Jerome Gorgon, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, announced in an office meeting that Doddamani and another prosecutor had been fired for alleged misconduct. According to the lawsuit, Jerome Gorgon professed to have no prior knowledge of the terminations or the reasons behind them.

Doddamani's lawyers argued her termination was politically motivated and retaliatory because she worked on a prosecution under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act at her superiors' direction. The lawsuit states that Doddamani's termination violates the Civil Service Reform Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the First and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution.

The lawsuit names Attorney General Todd Blanche, Jerome Gorgon, Francey Hakes, and several federal agencies and offices as defendants. Francey Hakes is the director of the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys. Doddamani's lawyers stated she suffered adverse effects from her termination, including lost or jeopardized financial opportunities and reputational harm.

The Justice Department released a 900-page report alleging that the Biden-era DOJ improperly targeted anti-abortion activists for prosecution one day after Doddamani's firing. A Justice Department spokesperson stated on X: "DOJ has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department."

Doddamani's lawyers criticized the FACE Act report for making unsubstantiated accusations and revealing internal DOJ material. The lawsuit states the FACE Act report mischaracterized defendants by referring to them as "peaceful, pro-life" defendants. The DOJ's April FACE Act report was the first work product from the Weaponization Working Group. The Weaponization Working Group was created by former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Doddamani primarily worked on civil cases during her tenure as a federal prosecutor. In 2023, Doddamani was assigned to serve on a trial team in United States v. Zastrow. United States v. Zastrow charged eight defendants in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with FACE Act violations and violations of the federal civil rights conspiracy statute. All eight defendants in United States v. Zastrow were convicted at trial.

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act makes it a crime to block a person from accessing reproductive health clinics. Congress passed the FACE Act in 1994. Nonviolent and first-time offenses under the FACE Act are misdemeanors.

Repeat offenses or violations resulting in bodily injury or death under the FACE Act can be treated as felonies. President Trump pardoned many of the FACE Act defendants convicted during the Biden administration early in his second term. A Florida-based defendant in a FACE Act case received a 120-day prison term in March 2025.

Why It Matters

The lawsuit connects the termination of a career prosecutor to a broader departmental review of prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The timing of Doddamani's firing, one day before the release of a 900-page report criticizing those prosecutions, forms the basis of the claim that the termination was retaliatory rather than based on misconduct.

The case shows tensions within the Department of Justice regarding the enforcement of laws protecting access to reproductive health facilities. The report, titled 'The Biden Administration's Weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act,' alleged bias in the previous administration's approach, while the lawsuit contends that prosecutors acting under superiors' direction are now facing political consequences.

Timeline

Congress passed the FACE Act in 1994. In 2023, Doddamani was assigned to serve on a trial team in United States v. Zastrow. A Florida-based defendant in a FACE Act case received a 120-day prison term in March 2025. The U.S. Department of Justice released a report on April 14, 2026, titled 'The Biden Administration's Weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act,' which stated that the Biden-era DOJ acted with bias in its pursuit and prosecution of anti-abortion activists.

What's New

The U.S. Department of Justice released a report on April 14, 2026, titled 'The Biden Administration's Weaponization of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act,' which stated that the Biden-era DOJ acted with bias in its pursuit and prosecution of anti-abortion activists.