DOJ employees wary of doxxing threats call on leadership for stronger response

An organization for Justice Department employees is asking leadership to step up protections for workers facing online threats, such as doxxing, especially as the U.S. election could make those issues worse.

The DOJ Gender Equality Network, a gender equity and equality organization that represents nearly 2,000 employees and contractors at the department, sent a letter on Oct. 31 asking Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Assistant Attorney General Jolene Lauria to strengthen action on the threats. 

“We make this request at a pivotal juncture: There has been an uptick in [doxxing] against government officials since January 6, 2021, and experts believe the election could exacerbate the problem exponentially. The time to act is now,” said the DOJ GEN letter, first reported by Politico. That letter was signed by Stacey Young and Jay Sinha.

The letter cites growing threats to personnel and calls out lack of clarity for employees on where to go when they’re experiencing threats. To address that, DOJ GEN suggested a centralized team to triage doxxing — exposing personally identifiable information about an individual — and other threats online. The organization also called for a centralized reporting system and employee guidance, access to commercial identity protection services and stronger takedown efforts, among other measures.  

In an emailed statement, a DOJ spokesperson said the department had received and was reviewing the letter, and emphasized that threats against the department’s workforce are treated “with the utmost seriousness.”

“The women and men of the Justice Department are dedicated public servants who work every day to ensure the fair and impartial application of our laws. Protecting their safety and security is necessary for the Department to carry out its vital mission. We continue to encourage our employees to report to their management any perceived threat, and we will take all appropriate action to keep them safe both on and off the job,” the spokesperson said.

In the letter, DOJ GEN described some of the threats faced by workers, saying that employees have been doxxed by criminal and civil defendants, and members of the public have doxxed DOJ personnel for their prosecutions involving Jan. 6, immigration cases, or high-profile search warrants. Doxxed employees include members of DOJ GEN, the letter said.

The employee organization pointed to a December 2020 comment by the National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys that said doxxing “is becoming an increasingly common tool for criminal actors seeking revenge against the U.S. justice system in the internet age.” The organization also noted that women, members of the LGBTQI+ community, people of color, and other marginalized groups have been targeted disproportionately, and the harm on those individuals can be worse.  

Despite those challenges, DOJ GEN says employees aren’t getting the assistance they need from the department. “Already, DOJ GEN members have not known where to turn when they have been targeted online, and they have not received adequate support from DOJ,” the letter said.

While the DOJ Justice Management Division’s Security and Emergency Planning Staff team has experience detailing threats to department leaders, DOJ GEN said the growing number of threats to other DOJ workers and the sale of personal information needs to be addressed.

Instituting a reporting system for complaints and a clearinghouse would make it easier for employees to know where to go after being targeted by doxxing or other online threats, DOJ GEN said in the letter. The triage team could also act as a clearinghouse so those complaints go to the right channels, the group said.

Employee guidance, meanwhile, could be posted internally and could explain how personnel should preserve evidence of doxxing and other online threats, best practices for protection online, and tips for using social media safely.

DOJ GEN’s other suggestions included working with Congress on legislative solutions, conducting a workforce survey and issuing a new DOJ order to protect employees.

“While Justice Department employees are unusually vulnerable to [doxxing] and other online threats, the Department is uniquely equipped to mitigate the harm they pose,” DOJ GEN said. “We ask you to do every reasonable thing in your power to protect our safety and health in the face of unprecedented threats, and we stand ready to help in any way we can.”