Trailblazer Vanita Gupta To Leave DoJ

WASHINGTON, DC – Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, a trailblazer as the first woman of color and civil rights attorney to hold the Justice Department’s No. 3 post is leaving her job at the Justice Department after a three-year tenure.

Her departure, scheduled for early next year, is anticipated to follow the completion of the Justice Department’s critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022.

In a statement provided to CNN, Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed gratitude for Gupta’s dedicated service and acknowledged her as one of his trusted advisers. Garland commended Gupta’s commitment to justice and her ability to bring diverse perspectives together to find common ground, describing her as an incredibly effective leader.

“Vanita has played an essential role in our work to fulfill the DOJ’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,” Garland said. “I am confident that her enormous contributions to the Department will continue to be felt long after her departure.”

Gupta’s legacy includes overseeing major legal settlements in tort cases against the federal government related to mass shootings, including those at Sutherland Springs, Parkland, and the Charleston Mother Emanuel AME Church.

Notably, following the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade in June, Gupta played a pivotal role in establishing the Justice Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force.

Having assumed office just one day after the conviction of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd in 2021, Gupta took charge during a time when Americans were grappling with perceived flaws in policing systems.