DOJ agrees to scale back Bondi's DC police directive after meeting with DC AG
Attorneys for the Justice Department have agreed to scale back an order from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that sought to strip the D.C. police chief of her command authority in favor of a federal official appointed by Bondi.
The outcome in the high-stakes legal battle between the Trump administration and D.C. local leaders came after DOJ attorneys and the D.C. attorney general's office deliberated privately for more than an hour and a half to see if they could come to an agreement on potentially revising the directive by Bondi.

In court proceedings Friday afternoon, DOJ attorneys said they are currently in the process of rewriting sections of the order, clarifying the directive that effectively put Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as head of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In its place, DOJ said it will note that Cole will serve as the designee for Bondi "for the purpose of requesting services" from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for any MPD assistance to federal law enforcement.
The agreement was a rare concession by the department in essentially acknowledging Bondi's initial order went beyond what the federal government is permitted to do under the Home Rule Act -- as DOJ's attorneys agreed to alter it to avoid a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes.
"I'm very happy that it looks like hopefully this can get figured out with me having -- without a judge having to do anything, because I think these are the kind of issues that should be decided between the District and the government," Reyes said. "So I'm thankful for you all and for all the people involved to be cooperative about that. But again, if I have to step in, I will."
-ABC News' Alex Mallin, Beatrice Peterson and Luke Barr






