WASHINGTON, D.C. — An award-winning government employee has been named as the new director of the Office of Tribal Justice at the Department of Justice (DOJ) amid the transition in federal government.

Gina Allery has worked at DOJ for nearly two decades. Her experience includes serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Tribal Resources and Land Acquisition sections at the agency and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota, where she prosecuted violent crimes in Indian Country.

During her time at DOJ, Allery also served as deputy director of the Office of Tribal Justice. She started her career at the agency as an attorney working on land-into-trust, reservation boundaries, treaty rights and Indian gaming.

“Gina Allery’s experience and leadership on Indian law and Tribal issues in a variety of roles across the Justice Department will make her an incredible asset to the Office of Tribal Justice,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a news release on Wednesday.

“I am confident that Gina will skillfully lead the Department’s efforts to partner with Tribal Nations in the pursuit of justice and safety for Tribal communities,” Garland said of Allery, who won the Distinguished Service Award from the agency in 2024. “I am grateful that she has agreed to continue her public service in this important role.”

According to the release, Allery was sworn in on Monday. She succeeds Daron Carreiro, another longtime government employee who had been serving as “acting” director of the Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ) since March 2024.

“Daron Carreiro has been an excellent leader and advisor since beginning as Acting Director of OTJ,” Garland said of Carreiro, who is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. “I thank him for his dedicated public service and for his ongoing contributions to the Department’s work alongside our Tribal partners.”

According to the release, Carreiro will return to his position as a Section Chief in the Tribal Resources section within the Environment and Natural Resources Division at DOJ. He previously was assigned to the White House to serve as Senior Policy Advisor for Native Affairs for outgoing President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Before Carreiro, the Office of Tribal Justice was led by Tracy Toulou, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Toulou held the post 24 years before retiring last year, when he also won the Distinguished Service Award.

The OTJ was initially established in 1995 following the work of tribal leaders. It was made permanent by Congress through the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. [PDF]

According to the law, the OTJ “shall serve as the program and legal policy advisor to the Attorney General with respect to the treaty and trust relationship between the United States and Indian tribes.” The law further states that the Attorney General “shall provide” sufficient personnel and funds to carry out its duties.

“The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 changed the way the Department works in and provides support to Native communities,” Toulou said in Congressional testimony in 2019.

As for DOJ, it will soon be coming under new leadership after president-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. He has tapped Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, to run the agency, which he has repeatedly claimed is working against him and “other Republicans.”

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump said in an announcement on November 21, 2024. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”

The Attorney General position requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Republicans, who took over the chamber at the start of the 119th Congress on January 3, have vowed to quickly install Trump’s nominees so that the incoming president can have a team ready next week.

“The American people deserve a secure homeland and borders, safe streets, orderly markets, civil rights, and a protected environment,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary>, said at the opening of Bondi’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday morning. “Delivering on these promises requires the swift confirmation of an Attorney General.”

In his opening statement at the hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), the Democratic ranking member of the committee, questioned whether Bondi would be able to follow the law, regardless of Trump’s desires. He noted that she previously worked as his personal attorney.

“Ms. Bondi, you have many years of experience in law enforcement, including nearly a decade of service as Attorney General in one of the largest states in the nation,” Durbin said. “But I need to know you would tell the President ‘No’ if you are asked to do something that is wrong, illegal, or unconstitutional.”

But Bondi, who helped Trump advance the baseless claim that he won the 2020 presidential election, said she agreed with his characterization of the DOJ.

“Lastly, and most importantly, if confirmed, I will work to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice — and each of its components,” Bondi told the committee in her prepared statement. [PDF]

“Under my watch, the partisan weaponization of the Department of Justice will end,” Bondi added. “America must have one tier of justice for all.”

Bondi’s confirmation hearing began at 9:30am on Wednesday. Following introductions by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), she fielded questions from committee members for nearly six hours.

The committee returns to work at 10:15am on Thursday morning to hear from a second panel of witnesses. Written questions can still be submitted to Bondi by 5pm tomorrow.

Grassley encouraged Bondi to respond to the questions “as soon as possible” so that the committee can schedule a business meeting to advance her nomination. Assuming she is approved by the committee, she can then be considered by the full Senate for final confirmation.

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