In this compelling episode, host Stephanie Weidle welcomes Trent McCotter, seasoned partner at Boyden Gray PLLC and head of its administrative-law practice. Trent previously served as Deputy Associate Attorney General of the United States and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Trent dives into the landmark settlement between Feds For Freedom (F4F) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), signed on August 7, 2025, following their challenge to the federal employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued on September 9, 2021. He recounts the lawsuit's timeline, from securing a pivotal January 2022 injunction that preserved over 400,000 federal jobs, to the recent agreement where the DOJ committed to actions like destroying certain vaccine status records (with opt-out options for those seeking discovery, such as employees facing ongoing retaliation, versus opt-in for those preferring a clean slate).

Trent addresses whether this settlement implicitly acknowledges government overreach, contrasts negotiating with the Biden DOJ versus the incoming 2025 Trump DOJ, and speaks to critics who argue it falls short on accountability. He shares eye-opening discoveries from four years on the case, explains why his firm boldly took it on when others declined, and explores how this non-precedential win can still advance justice for others still seeking remediation.

Feds For Freedom’s Press Release: https://www.fedsforfreedom.org/settlement