Former Huntington Beach City Atty. Michael Gates says claims of DOJ firing are false
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Former Huntington Beach city attorney Michael Gates on Friday disputed claims he was fired from his U.S. Department of Justice job amid allegations that he created a hostile work environment.
Gates announced last weekend on social media he was resigning from his job as a deputy assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, where he had spent about 10 months. He said in an interview with the Daily Pilot Monday he missed his family, had decided to stay at home amid the government shutdown and would return to Huntington Beach City Hall as an chief assistant city attorney effective Nov. 24.
But an SF-52 employment document obtained by the Orange County Register indicates Gates was terminated from the federal job “for cause.” The form states the termination was authorized by Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general who oversees the Civil Rights Division.
A Register article published Friday additionally cites an unnamed source at the agency who stated Gates created a hostile work environment in Washington, D.C., and was derogatory toward women.
Gates categorically denied those claims during an interview Friday, insisting that he resigned, rather than being terminated. He said he had not seen the SR-52 form before Friday. When he did, he noted it was unsigned and undated.
“I think that should draw the scrutiny of any casual reader,” the former city attorney said. “I believe the form was leaked by somebody high up in the DOJ who was really upset that I resigned ... and they are now retaliating against me.”
Gates said he would be securing the services of a defamation lawyer.
“Not a single complaint was ever brought to my attention by anybody while I was there, whether informal or formal,” he said. “While I was there, I was a consummate professional, so I was pretty shocked by this [news report].”
Gates said he is the fourth deputy assistant attorney general to resign since April. He produced a text message exchange, which he said came from a conversation with Dhillon in September, in which the assistant attorney general said she was glad he was there and appreciated his sacrifices.
The U.S. Justice Department could not be reached for comment on Friday. However, the city of Huntington Beach released a statement Friday afternoon regarding the allegations of Gates’ firing.
“The city of Huntington Beach has become aware of an O.C. Register article published this morning regarding Michael Gates,” the statement reads. “We take such matters seriously and are actively investigating.”
Gates was Huntington Beach’s city attorney from 2014-24 and stated this week that he plans to run for the elected office again next year. Mike Vigliotta, a longtime assistant under Gates, is currently the city attorney.
In 2021, Huntington Beach paid $2.5 million to settle a lawsuit after a pair of senior deputy city attorneys in Gates’ office alleged age discrimination. One of the attorneys involved in that case, Scott Field, subsequently ran against Gates for city attorney the following year but lost.
