Huntington Beach’s city attorney joins Trump’s Justice Department

WASHINGTON — Michael Gates, Huntington Beach’s city attorney for the last decade and tireless antagonist of the state’s liberal politics, has joined the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division, he said in a statement Monday.

“I am profoundly humbled and honored for this opportunity to serve the American people at a time like this — to advance President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, fight to restore law and order throughout the country, and fight to restore faith in the Nation’s justice system,” Gates said in a statement announcing his departure and his new position as a deputy assistant attorney general.

Gates, 49, joins the Justice Department under U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, who was confirmed by the Senate last week. Bondi, a close ally of Trump, promised to bring reforms to the department, which investigated the president during the Biden administration. She has also indicated that securing election systems and fighting sanctuary cities would be a priority.

“The voters put Trump in office to restore a lot of what has been damaged across the country,” Gates said in an interview Monday, adding that he has been an “unapologetic supporter” of the president since 2015. “I’m glad to take a role as being a part of that restoration — that we need to put America back to where it was ... a nation of laws.”

Gates gained attention in Orange County as an aggressive litigator on behalf of Huntington Beach, frequently picking legal battles with the state’s Democratic leaders.

Most recently, the city sued California over the state’s sanctuary law, which the first Trump administration also fought, alleging that it is unconstitutional.

Some of Gates’ lawsuits rested on Huntington Beach’s status as a charter city, which grants localities power to trump state laws when dealing with municipal affairs. Gates argued in a case fighting California’s housing requirements that as a charter city, Huntington Beach could escape state laws it deemed overreaching.

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“I believe that Huntington Beach will continue to play a pivotal role in restoring the State of California,” Gates said in a statement. “So many other cities in California now look to Huntington Beach for leadership. As I have told so many in recent years, Huntington Beach really is the ‘land of the free and home of the brave’ here in California.”

At the forefront of frequent fights against California, Gates and Huntington Beach quickly became legal foils for leaders such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta.

The state sued Huntington Beach over the city’s voter-backed Measure A, which allows officials to ask voters for ID before they can cast ballots. The courts dismissed the case, but the state appealed last month and Newsom signed SB 1174 to counter the measure, prohibiting election officials from requiring ID.

“I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and diving in and helping out,” he said. “When we bring — at least in our department — order back, things will calm down.”

Gates, a lifelong Republican working in a largely conservative city, graduated from Pepperdine University and Chapman University’s law school. He grew up in Huntington Beach, where he wrestled and played football in high school.

Gates was the subject of a lawsuit by former employees who alleged that he discriminated against older and disabled attorneys. The case was settled, and one of the employees, Scott Field, lost an election to Gates in 2022.

In his resignation announcement, Gates recommended that Huntington Beach replace him with Chief Asst. City Atty. Mike Vigliotta.