RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The new liaison to local law enforcement for the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles is facing state criminal charges himself, and has a string of prior convictions for driving under the influence, public records show.Shawn Christopher Lewis, who previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli\u0027s chief of staff when he was a California assemblyman, was hired by and now works for the U.S. Attorney\u0027s Office for the Central District of California as a community resource specialist, a spokesperson for Essayli\u0027s office confirmed.Lewis, the spokesperson added, "wears many hats" and will also help in public affairs, a role that entails drafting press releases, speaking with reporters and promoting the work of the office.Lewis was hired even though he has been convicted for driving under the influence at least three times \u2014 in 2013, 2015 and 2021, according to public records obtained by CBS News.\u00a0He is currently facing charges of misdemeanor battery and taking property in Sacramento, after he allegedly repeatedly punched a man in the head and face and threw his cellphone onto the roof of a nearby building, preventing him from calling 911, according to police reports, court filings and an interview with the alleged victim.\u00a0The May 12 police report shows Lewis was initially also booked on charges of resisting arrest and public intoxication, in addition to the battery charge he now faces in Sacramento Superior Court, records show.Lewis was still on probation for his third DUI conviction when Sacramento police arrested him. On Wednesday, the Yolo County District Attorney\u0027s Office filed a violation of probation and an order to appear in court for that case too, records show.\u00a0Lewis also previously violated probation after his first DUI in San Mateo County, according to court records. \u00a0Jeff Raven, an attorney for Lewis, told CBS News in a statement that his client is innocent and presumed as such unless proven guilty."Mr. Lewis welcomes an opportunity to clear his name," Raven said.\u00a0He added that Lewis was hired by the Justice Department earlier this year, but did not start until more recently.Lewis applied for a position that was publicly posted, Raven said, and "in accordance with standard hiring and screening procedures, accepted an offer in February of this year."\u00a0Raven said Lewis continued to work for the legislature through the beginning of July before beginning his new job with the U.S. attorney\u0027s office. "This transition had nothing to do with his pending legal matters," Raven said.Essayli referred all questions from CBS News to the spokesperson for his office.\u00a0Lewis "applied for a position in our office that was publicly advertised in late 2025," according to the statement provided to CBS News from the U.S. Attorney\u0027s Office. "In February 2026, he accepted an offer to join our office. We do not comment on personnel matters."Former Justice Department officials said Essayli\u0027s decision to hire a former staffer with a criminal background to conduct outreach to law enforcement undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system."Courts and the public can\u0027t trust DOJ to enforce the law fairly and effectively when the administration hires lawbreakers to fill high-level positions," said Stacey Young, a former Justice Department attorney who founded the nonprofit advocacy group Justice Connection.\u00a0Current and former Justice Department officials say that in past years, someone with a criminal history like Lewis\u0027 would not be able to pass a background check and gain employment in a U.S. attorney\u0027s office.But as the Justice Department continues to see employees departing in droves and struggles to recruit new personnel, the pattern of hiring people with a history of criminal convictions, court sanctions or other professional discipline has become increasingly common. \u00a0Some 16,000 employees have left the Justice Department since January 2025, according to recent data published by Justice Connection, and the department has started offering retention bonuses in some cases to try to lure in new talent.Attorney General Todd Blanche\u0027s deputy chief of staff Shane Hedges, for example, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in a 2001 drunk driving incident that killed Montana\u0027s former majority leader Paul Sliter, according to media reports at the time. He was sentenced to community service and six months in a halfway house.\u00a0Aakash Singh, an associate deputy attorney general who has been closely involved in many of the Justice Department\u0027s most politically sensitive investigations, was also arrested for drunk driving in September 2021, according to police and court records.\u00a0At the time, he was serving as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to serve 24 hours of community service, pay $393, and undergo a substance abuse assessment, court records show.A Justice Department spokesperson said that Singh\u0027s DUI incident, which occurred during Attorney General Merrick Garland\u0027s tenure, was delegated to the U.S. Attorney\u0027s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to handle.In a letter he received in early 2022, officials determined that while he had violated the law, he was ultimately "an asset to the office," the department told CBS News.The department added his clearance was renewed when he started serving as associate deputy attorney general in 2025."I am surprised that DOJ hiring standards seem to have slipped so dramatically," said Michael Bromwich, who previously served as the Justice Department\u0027s inspector general \u2014 a job that entails investigating waste, fraud and abuse."All these officials should have had to pass what is supposed to be a rigorous background investigation. It is surprising that either the background investigation failed to learn of these issues or the pers...
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