Interim DOJ Civil Division head nominated to take on full role

President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Brett Shumate, the current acting head of the Civil Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ), to assistant attorney general of the division. Shumate’s nomination to the arm of the DOJ that primarily handles civil cases comes at a time when Trump’s administration has been signaling a shift in its enforcement priorities.

Along with Shumate, Trump also expressed his intent to nominate John Eisenberg for assistant attorney general for national security and Patrick Davis for assistant attorney general for the Office of Legislative Affairs, the DOJ announced in a press release Wednesday. Once these nominations become official, the confirmation process will begin in the U.S. Senate.

The DOJ’s Civil Division ”represents the United States, its departments and agencies, members of Congress, cabinet officers, and other federal employees in any civil or criminal matter within its scope of responsibility,” according to the DOJ website. The branches of the DOJ that come under the purview of the assistant attorney general include the Consumer Protection Branch, Fraud Section, Federal Programs Branch, and the Commercial Litigation Branch.