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Articles by Patrick White
Department of Justice Issues Guidance on Unlawful Conduct in Executive Order 14173
The Department of Justice recently released a memorandum titled “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination.” In this blog post, Hahn Loeser attorneys Sonja Rice, Matthew Wagner, J. Patrick White, and Matthew Grashoff analyze that memorandum, discuss what it does—and doesn’t—say about what may constitute “unlawful discrimination,” and provide key takeaways for federal contractors and recipients of federal funds going forward.
DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative Set to Investigate Federal Government Contractors and Grantees
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) launched the Civil Rights Fraud Initiative (the “Initiative”), which was announced on May 19, 2025 via Memorandum from Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, and a related press release (the “Memorandum”). The Initiative is a coordinated enforcement effort by various DOJ components and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute alleged civil rights violations committed by recipients of federal funds.
Update: Making Sense of the Evolving DEI Landscape and its Effects on Federal Contractors and Grantees
We recently wrote about the preliminary injunction entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, blocking the Department of Labor from enforcing certain provisions of Executive Orders 14173 and 14151, both of which limit or prohibit federal grants or programs relating to “illegal,” “unlawful,” and “immoral” diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”).
Department of Justice Rescinds Prior Report About Race and Sex in Federal Contracting
On April 23, 2025, the United States Department of Justice announced that it is rescinding the January 31, 2022 Notice of Report on Lawful Uses of Race or Sex in Federal Contracting Programs (the “2022 Report”). The April 23 announcement (the “Announcement”) does not clarify what practices or activities constitute inappropriate DEI programs.
U.S. District Court Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking Department of Labor from Enforcing Certain Provisions of DEI-Related Executive Orders | Open Legal Blog Archive
On April 2, we reported that Judge Matthew Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois had issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Labor from enforcing certain provisions of Executive Orders 14173 and 14151, both of which limit or prohibit federal grants or programs relating to “illegal,” “unlawful,” and “immoral” diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”).
On March 27, 2025, Judge Matthew Kennelly of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Department of Labor from enforcing certain provisions of Executive Orders 14173 and 14151, both of which limited or prohibited federal grants or programs relating to “illegal,” “unlawful,” and “immoral” diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”).
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Allows for Enforcement of DEI-Related Executive Orders Pending Appeal
On March 14, 2025, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted the government’s request to stay a nationwide preliminary injunction that blocked enforcement of elements of President Trump’s Executive Order 14173 (signed January 21, 2025) ending DEI programs within federal grant and contract processes, and his similar Executive Order 14151 (signed January 20, 2025) ending the federal government’s DEI initiatives, programs, and equity-related grants or contracts (collectively, the...
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