harmeet dhillon was discussed for a possible promotion to one of the top Justice Department roles, while Stanley Woodward was discussed for demotion, according to a CBS News report updated April 4, 2026. It was unclear whether final decisions had been made, and the changes were expected to affect two more top roles at the department.
Justice Department leadership
Senior officials discussed elevating Dhillon, who currently serves as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, into one of the department's top posts. The same report said Woodward, who serves as Associate Attorney General, was being considered for demotion.
The Associate Attorney General role oversees the Civil Rights Division, the Antitrust Division, the Civil Division, and the Environment and Natural Resources Division, along with the department's grant-making offices and the trustee program. A change in that office would shift oversight across several major parts of the department if it is finalized.
Dhillon and Woodward
Dhillon has led a major shift in the Civil Rights Division. More than 75% of its attorneys left over the past year, most of them through buy-outs or early retirements, and some departed because of concerns over new mission statements Dhillon issued for the office.
Under Dhillon's leadership, the division launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion policies at universities, filed lawsuits to prohibit transgender athletes from playing on girls' and women's sports teams, and litigated against dozens of states to obtain unredacted copies of their voter registration lists. Dhillon also created a new section focused on gun rights and last year upended efforts to reach consent decrees with police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville.
Trump's staffing changes
The discussion came after Mr. Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier in the week before April 4, 2026, and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting attorney general. CBS News had previously reported that Lee Zeldin was one of the front-runners to become the permanent replacement for attorney general.
Woodward has represented several prominent Trump allies, including Peter Navarro, Kash Patel, Walt Nauta, and Kelly Meggs. He has also drawn attacks from some Trump allies, including Laura Loomer, over his wife's support for progressive causes.
More than 200 former Civil Rights Division attorneys said in an open letter last year that Dhillon was destroying the Civil Rights Division. The letter and the reported leadership talks leave open the same immediate question: whether Trump will finalize the changes, and if so, whether Dhillon moves up while Woodward moves out of the Associate Attorney General post.
