The Department of Justice has dismissed several staff members who collaborated with Special Counsel Jack Smith during his criminal inquiries involving President Donald Trump.
Since assuming office the previous week, the Trump administration has swiftly begun to reform the federal workforce—this includes mandating that federal employees return to their offices and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The latest directive from the leadership at the DOJ focuses on attorneys who, just weeks ago, were assigned to investigate and prosecute cases related to the new president’s alleged mishandling of classified information and his interference in the 2020 presidential election.
“Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry dismissed several DOJ officials who were key in prosecuting President Trump,” an unnamed source within the Justice Department revealed to several outlets, including the Associated Press.
McHenry, a long-time DOJ staff member who headed an immigration division, took on the Cabinet role last week until Pam Bondi, Trump’s suggested candidate for the position, receives Senate confirmation.
“Given their actions, the Acting Attorney General lacks confidence in these officials to support the faithful implementation of the President’s agenda,” the statement went on to say. “This decision aligns with the objective of ending the misuse of government resources.”
On his first day in power, Trump enacted a series of executive orders, including a directive aimed at “halting the misuse of the federal government.” This directive instructed the DOJ, alongside the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, to “recognize and take necessary actions to rectify previous wrongdoings” that occurred during former President Biden’s administration.
Authorities did not quickly release the identities of those terminated or disclose how many individuals were let go. According to sources at NBC News, the dismissed employees were seasoned prosecutors, who might be difficult to terminate due to existing labor protections.
The Justice Department has yet to provide a response to an inquiry from the Daily Beast.
Special Counsel Smith stepped down earlier in January after concluding his criminal investigations regarding Trump. His conclusions concerning the election interference matter were published in a damning report shortly thereafter.
