Justice Department shaking up legal team on census case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is shaking up the legal team trying to add a citizenship question to the census.

Officials say a new team of lawyers will take over the litigation.

The Supreme Court has barred the inclusion of a citizenship question, at least temporarily. But the Justice Department has said it will continue to try to find legal grounds to force it on the 2020 census.

A Justice Department official tells The Associated Press that the team will be made up of career lawyers and political appointees. The official says a top civil attorney in the department, John Burnham, will no longer lead the litigation team.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of a court filing expected Monday.