Congressman McGarvey Condemns “Miscarriage of Justice” in Letter to AG Pam Bondi, Citing Continued Federal Interference by Trump’s DOJ to Undermine Justice for Breonna Taylor

Congressman McGarvey Condemns "Miscarriage of Justice" in Letter to AG Pam Bondi, Citing Continued Federal Interference by Trump's DOJ to Undermine Justice for Breonna Taylor

"Breonna Taylor is dead, and your department's decision to walk away from this case means there will be no accountability for how the fatal raid began or for the officers involved."

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 27, 2026) - Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi after a federal judge dismissed charges against former officers involved in the fatal raid of Breonna Taylor's home in 2020, demanding the Department of Justice stop interfering with and undermining Louisville's efforts to deliver justice for Breonna Taylor's family.

Last week, the DOJ requested dismissal of the charges alleging two former Louisville officers knew they lacked probable cause to search Ms. Taylor's apartment and intentionally drafted and swore to an affidavit that contained false statements and material omissions.

"The DOJ's decision to walk away from this case and their argument that it is somehow 'in the interest of justice' is insulting given the Trump administration's persistent undermining of police and justice reform efforts here in Louisville and its utter abandonment of any kind of civil rights enforcement nationwide," the Congressman wrote to AG Bondi.

McGarvey pointed to a pattern of federal interference since the beginning of the Trump administration to undermine accountability for the fatal shooting.

"One of the president's very first actions after taking office was to begin the process of invalidating Louisville's consent decree, from which he eventually withdrew the federal government a few months later," McGarvey continued.

In addition to the latest dismissal of charges, last year the DOJ recommended Brett Hankison serve only one day in prison of his nearly 3-year sentence and be released from prison during a pending appeal.

"Louisville has spent six years working towards justice for Breonna and her family," wrote McGarvey. "We will continue that work, regardless of federal interference or your efforts to stop us."

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Letter Text:

Dear Attorney General Bondi,

I write to express my profound opposition to the Department of Justice's decision to dismiss the federal cases against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, former Louisville Metro Police Department officers accused of falsifying the no-knock warrant that led to Breonna Taylor's death in March 2020. It is not "in the interest of justice" to walk away from this case; it is a miscarriage of justice. The Department of Justice must stop interfering with and undermining Louisville's efforts to deliver justice for Miss Taylor's family and atone for her death as a community.

On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Louisville EMT who aspired to become a neonatal nurse, was shot and killed in her home by officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department executing a no-knock warrant. The warrant affidavit that led to the search was prepared by Detective Joshua Jaynes and approved by Sergeant Kyle Meany. The Department of Justice has alleged the officers knew they lacked probable cause to search Ms. Taylor's apartment and intentionally drafted and swore to an affidavit that contained false statements and material omissions.

I understand prosecutors have faced several setbacks in their efforts to bring felony civil rights charges against Meany and Jaynes pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 242. I am not a jurist, and I will not use this letter to comment on the wisdom, or lack thereof, of the court's decision in this case to impose the strictest causation and mens rea standards possible to the chain of events that led to Miss Taylor's death. I must, however, condemn your department's decision to use those setbacks as an excuse to withdraw entirely from the case. Regardless of the court's willingness to entertain the argument that Jaynes and Meany's alleged crimes directly resulted in the fatal shots being fired, this fact remains true: Breonna Taylor is dead, and your department's decision to walk away from this case means there will be no accountability for how the fatal raid began or for the officers involved.

The DOJ's decision to walk away from this case and their argument that it is somehow "in the interest of justice" is insulting given the Trump administration's persistent undermining of police and justice reform efforts here in Louisville and its utter abandonment of any kind of civil rights enforcement nationwide. One of the president's very first actions after taking office was to begin the process of invalidating Louisville's consent decree, from which he eventually withdrew the federal government a few months later. Your department's Civil Rights Division, the very federal agency charged with protecting and securing justice for Miss Taylor and victims like her, recommended that Brett Hankison, an officer who fired ten blind shots through Taylor's windows and doors, serve only one day in prison following his conviction by a federal jury. This pattern is not unique to Louisville. In Minneapolis and Memphis and so many more American cities, your Department of Justice has made clear that it is not interested in protecting the rights and freedoms of Black people, especially victims of police violence.

Louisville has spent six years working towards justice for Breonna and her family. We will continue that work, regardless of federal interference or your efforts to stop us.

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Congressman Morgan McGarvey represents Kentucky's Third Congressional District, including Louisville and Jefferson County. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs, Small Business, and Budget Committees.