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The U.S. Division of Justice mentioned it “rescinds and can take away” information that its former deputy assistant U.S. legal professional normal, Michael Gates, was terminated and can as an alternative settle for his voluntary resignation.
The Justice Division, in a letter to Gates dated Friday, Nov. 21, mentioned it can replace Gates’ personnel file to notice that he voluntarily resigned from his place in its Civil Rights Division.
Gates, the previous Huntington Seashore metropolis legal professional, introduced on social media on Sunday, Nov. 9, that he had resigned his place within the Trump administration and was returning dwelling to work for the town as soon as extra. He mentioned he was “very conflicted” about leaving as a result of the job was “the honour of a lifetime,” however the months felt like years as he missed his household and their occasions.
However the Justice Division had mentioned Gates was terminated from his place “for trigger,” personnel information obtained via a information request confirmed.
A Justice Division supply did verify the validity of the letter Gates obtained on Friday accepting his resignation. There was no additional details about the change of resolution.
“Please settle for this letter as formal notification that the Division of Justice Civil Rights Division has accepted your voluntary resignation from the place of Deputy Assistant Legal professional Normal, efficient November, 9, 2025. Accordingly, the Division rescinds and can take away out of your personnel document any earlier reference to your termination.”
Gates had maintained that he was not fired, however fairly was planning to resign from the Justice Division.
“They have been offended I resigned, and I do know this as a result of it was well-known all through the workplace for months that anyone resigning would make them look dangerous,” Gates mentioned in an interview final week. “When different folks resigned, they have been so mad. I’ve seen it with my very own eyes as a result of they thought it could make them look dangerous.”
Gates couldn’t instantly be reached for remark Friday night.
However in a Fb submit, Gates referred to as the letter “complete vindication.”
“DOJ simply despatched a letter utterly reversing — now recognizing my resignation!” he posted.
Earlier Friday, the Huntington Seashore Metropolis Council met in closed session for 90 minutes, discussing the rehiring of Gates to work within the metropolis legal professional’s workplace. At its common assembly on Tuesday, the council referred to as for a particular assembly to deal with “anticipated litigation” in two emails from Gates’ legal professional, Benjamin G. Chew, concerning Gates’ employment with the town.
Within the resignation letter Gates had posted to social media earlier this month, it indicated his final day with the Justice Division could be Nov. 22. The Justice Division’s letter on Friday mentioned his resignation is efficient Nov. 9.
Gates was elected as Huntington Seashore’s metropolis legal professional in 2014 and gained reelection twice extra. He had mentioned he would run for his previous submit once more subsequent 12 months. However within the meantime, Gates mentioned he has accepted the town’s provide to be “chief assistant metropolis legal professional” beginning Nov. 24.
He had been one of many extra outspoken elected officers in Huntington Seashore and the county, main his workplace to battle the state on a number of native management points, together with difficult the state’s sanctuary regulation, preventing for the town’s voter ID regulation, and stopping California from mandating the coastal metropolis to construct extra housing.
He introduced in February that he was leaving his submit as Huntington Seashore’s metropolis legal professional to go to the Justice Division in Washington, D.C.
In his resignation letter, Gates mentioned: “My resolution to resign was not made simply — however, in gentle of many circumstances, and after my experiences working on the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., this 12 months, I consider that is the perfect resolution for me and my household.”
Workers author Claire Wang contributed to this report.
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