Attorney General Merrick Garland tightened regulations on Tuesday by forbidding senior Justice Department appointees from participating in “partisan political activities.”

A little more than two months before the midterm elections, the department reversed a long-standing regulation that permitted political appointees, also known as non-career workers, to attend fundraisers and campaign events as spectators.

Also read: Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago were ‘concealed and removed’: Justice Department

Following the FBI’s August 8 investigation of former President Donald Trump‘s Florida resort, congressional Republicans and Trump backers levelled accusations of political bias.

“As Department employees, we have been entrusted with the authority and responsibility to enforce the laws of the United States in a neutral and impartial manner,” Garland wrote in the memo. “In fulfilling this responsibility, we must do all we can to maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in fact and appearance — does not compromise or affect the integrity of our work.”

Garland’s directive came after memoranda from Jolene Lauria, the acting assistant attorney general for administration, reminding political appointees of the rules regarding limits resulting from the Hatch Act, which aims to create a workplace that is politically neutral for federal employees.

Also read: Donald Trump never had ‘realistic goals’ for Artemis: NASA chief Bill Nelson

Federal personnel are not allowed to participate in political activities while on the job, in federal buildings, or while using federal property, according to a 1939 legislation. Under the previous Justice Department policy, appointees could observe political events if their superiors gave them permission.

Non-career appointees “may not participate in any partisan political event in any capacity,” according to the new rules, Garland added.

There is no longer an exception for appointees whose immediate family members are vying for partisan offices because the limitation also applies during presidential election years. Even on election day, appointments are no longer allowed to attend political campaign events.

Also read: Joe Biden to deliver prime-time speech ahead of US midterms: What to expect

“I know you agree it is critical that we hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards to avoid even the appearance of political influence as we carry out the Department’s mission,” Garland wrote. “It is in that spirit that I have added these new restrictions on political activities by non-career employees.”

Since the Mar-a-Lago raid and subsequent GOP allegations that the Biden administration used the Justice Department as a weapon against Trump, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued warnings about an increase in threats against federal law enforcement employees.

Garland highlighted Justice Department policies on communications with Congress in a separate memo to department workers on Tuesday. “Like the policies regarding communications with the White House, these policies ‘are designed to protect our criminal and civil law enforcement decisions, and our legal judgments, from partisan or other inappropriate influences, whether real or perceived, direct or indirect,’” Garland wrote.