It’s Time to Speak Up: A Message to DOJ Alumni

Jordan Mathews was one of the 4,500 DOJ employees who took the Deferred Resignation Program. Jordan discusses continuing the fight for justice from the outside by saying the true thing out loud.

Historically, October 1st marks the start of the fiscal year for the government. A date that pushes deadlines, sets priorities, and acts as a collective reset.

But this year, October 1st was different – for me and for the over 4,500 Department civil servants who opted into the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP).

For us, it marked the end of our federal careers.

4,500 people who committed their careers to serving the American people, 4,500 people who swore an oath to defend the Constitution, 4,500 people who believed in the pursuit of justice.

4,500 people pushed out.

And so today, I invite those 4,500 people to speak up, speak out, and continue to fight for the ideals that inspired them to pursue a career inside the Justice Department now that they are on the outside.

Our Voices Matter

In April of this year, I decided to take the DRP after learning my congressionally mandated component, the Community Relations Service, would be purged.

I started that week with no intention to take the DRP. By the end of the week, I would be returning my equipment and badge. In many ways, it still feels like a fever dream.

The months that have followed have been filled with shame, grief, and rage. So much rage. Not just for what this administration did to me and my colleagues, but for what they are doing to systematically dismantle our norms, institutions, and, ultimately, our democracy.

Initially, I felt overwhelmed and helpless. So, I decided to write. I wrote about the shame I felt when I decided to take ‘the fork.’ I wrote about being fed up with being silenced. I wrote about why now more than ever it is important that we say the true thing out loud.

Because authoritarianism thrives on our fear and in our silence.

Admittedly, I was scared. And sometimes I still feel scared, and uncertain what lengths this administration could take to silence me. I have seen how the powers-that-be intimidate dissenters and whistleblowers. So yes, at times, the illusion of this administration’s power has been stifling.

But that’s just it. It is an illusion. Although this administration is working hard to push us into an authoritarian stronghold, working hard to convince us that their success is inevitable – that perception only becomes reality if we choose to stay silent. We must not obey in advance. We can’t.

We still have rights protected by the Constitution that we swore to protect. We must exercise them.

We Each Have Unique Power

So where do you hold your unique power? What are your strengths? What is this moment in history asking of you?

At DOJ, I had the privilege of working with and learning from the best and brightest across the department. Smart, dedicated, kind, and resourceful people who committed themselves to fulfilling the mission of the Department and their components.

I think of the civil rights attorneys who worked to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities. I think of the team at the Office of Access to Justice who translated thousands of documents into dozens of languages, because everyone in America is entitled to due process. I think of the grantmakers at the Office on Violence Against Women who in FY24 awarded $684 million in grants, authorized by Congress, to build the nation’s capacity in reducing violence against women. I think of the mediators at the Community Relations Service who partnered with communities across this country to resolve deeply emotional and entrenched conflict. I think of the human resources and administrative professionals who were the backbone of everything the department did. And so many others.

If you are reading this, you may be one of those people. Your country still needs you, perhaps now more than ever – your strengths, your expertise, your voice.

So I encourage you to pause and consider what your strengths are. What are you being called to do; what do you need to say?

I have always been the person who felt compelled to speak up for what I believe is right and fair. Using my voice is my strength, and writing, my tool. So starting a blog felt aligned with my strengths, my purpose, and this moment.

But this was just the path that made sense for me. Saying the true thing out loud can and should take many forms.

You can support and work with organizations that are defending our democratic institutions, like Justice Connection. Nearly 300 impacted DOJ employees who left since January used their voice by signing the letter by Justice Connection urgently calling on all Americans, Congress, and other DOJ alumni to fight for the Justice Department before it’s too late.

And that’s just one example. There are many others. You can share your expertise on a podcast or with the local news to explain the work you did and why it mattered. You can highlight a data-driven analysis on your personal social media to push back against harmful misinformation. You can write an op-ed for your local paper or a Substack article. (Justice Connection provides free media training!) You can provide helpful tips to reputable news outlets about unjust and illegal actions that should be exposed, or you can voice your support for others who choose to go public with their whistleblowing efforts.

You get the idea. We all can find a way to make our voices heard.

Strength Comes in Numbers

In June, former DOJ lawyer, Erez Reuveni, made a whistleblower complaint, alleging that political appointees at the Justice Department were misleading the courts about immigration cases to ensure people were deported quickly. He was fired for not going along with their plan.

During an interview with NPR, Reuveni admitted he worries every day that the administration would retaliate against him. But in the face of that fear, he decided to go public anyway. His hope? That other people will decide to do the same.

He said, “Because the voice of one, that’s one thing, fine; the voice of two, that’s better; but a chorus? It’s hard to ignore that.”

Reuveni reminds us that our power exists in our collective voices – and we owe it to him, and everyone still at the department, to use them. We are not alone, and saying the true thing out loud matters now more than ever.

There will be a community behind you when you do.

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Jordan Mathews entered federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2021 with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service. She holds an MSS in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University in Sweden, where her research explored the nexus of gender and violent extremism. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, Jordan served as a Youth Development Specialist before joining DOJ. After departing CRS in April, she founded The Fed Up—a blog and growing community that inspires, supports, and celebrates the pissed off and pushed out feds who say the true thing out loud, for themselves and for democracy.

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Established by DOJ alumni in January 2025, Justice Connection provides DOJ employees under attack the support they need: pro bono legal counsel, mental health assistance, media training, and job-seeking help. We’re also speaking out against the assault on the department and the rule of law.

Thousands of DOJ alumni are part of our network. If you’re an alum, join us by sending an email to alumni@thejusticeconnection.org.