Former ATF Chief Legal Counsel Pamela Hicks confirmed her termination via LinkedIn on Thursday, stating she received official notice from Attorney General Pam Bondi. Hicks, who served in the role since 2021 under the Biden administration and previously as deputy chief counsel under the Trump administration, expressed gratitude for her 23-year tenure within the Department of Justice.

A source revealed Hicks was escorted from the ATF building. ATF, while respecting employee rights, declined to comment on personnel matters. This dismissal follows a series of departures and terminations within the DOJ. In February, multiple federal prosecutors resigned over the Trump DOJ's decision to drop corruption charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams. Furthermore, Trump recently directed the DOJ to dismiss all remaining Biden-era U.S. attorneys to "restore confidence" in the justice system.

Bondi, confirmed as Attorney General on February 5th, addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), expressing concern over the extent of perceived political weaponization within the DOJ inherited from the Biden administration. Speaking with Senator Ted Cruz on his podcast "Verdict," Bondi emphasized her focus on ending this weaponization and restoring the DOJ's mission of combating violent crime. She described the DOJ's state as "worse" than anticipated, citing the perceived targeting of President Trump as an example of its straying from its core mission.

The ATF's transfer from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Justice in 2003, following the Homeland Security Act, reflects the post-9/11 restructuring of the federal government to strengthen counterterrorism efforts.