Show Notes
Patty Hartman began her public service career as a member of the fourth estate 37 years ago as a news radio reporter in Wilmington, Delaware. In July 2007, after nearly twenty years in radio and TV journalism, Patty was drawn to federal service by her love of the law. She spent the next 18 years serving in various public affairs roles with the Department of Justice before being fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi on July 7, 2025. Between 2019 and 2021, Patty worked as a public affairs specialist at the FBI Newark Field Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Since late 2022, Patty oversaw media engagement with the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, which included the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, and press releases related to the 1,500 domestic terrorists who attacked the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Within days of the beginning of the second Trump Administration, Patty's duties changed drastically, and she spent most of the next four months feeling alienated by her leadership. By May, Patty had observed a morale shift following the obliteration of the separation between the White House and DOJ, but a change in leadership at the USAO gave her hope that her situation would improve. Hours after a July meeting with her new Director of External Affairs who had recently joined the office from Fox News, Patty was abruptly terminated and left scrambling to collect her personal effects before her last long train ride home. Now, Patty is calling on former federal employees to run for public office and restore faith in the legislative branch's constitutionally-mandated checks and balances of the executive. Patty is still seeking opportunities to continue her career of service, volunteering with the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, and getting certified along with her beloved pup to do therapy visits for others in need. Patty remains a beloved part of the extended FBI and DOJ family, and we're outraged and devastated by the administration's decision to politicize her role as a dedicated public servant. The January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol remains the single largest attack against the US Capitol since the British siege of Washington, DC during the War of 1812. Patty's role sharing information with the public about DOJ's effort to defend democracy should be admired not punished. ---------- Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, LinkedIn, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy Forking Off with us, consider supporting us on Ko-fi where we've set a goal to upgrade our hosting services. ---------- Watch Patty's interview with CBS News about her unlawful firing. ---------- Learn more about Patty from her hometown paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer. ---------- Read about former feds running for public office on the Federal News Network. ---------- For more information about this episode, visit our website. ---------- The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the individuals providing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the FBI, the DOJ, the United States, or any past or current employers.
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