The Trump administration on Monday dismissed over a dozen Justice Department lawyers involved in criminal cases against former President Donald Trump, citing distrust in their ability to implement his agenda. Acting Attorney General James McHenry justified the firings as part of Trump’s constitutional executive authority, according to a termination letter seen by Reuters.
The lawyers had worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith on federal cases accusing Trump of retaining classified documents and interfering with the 2020 election. Both cases were dropped after Trump’s November election win, and Smith resigned earlier this month.
The firings coincided with Ed Martin, a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor, launching an internal review into the use of felony obstruction charges against participants in the January 6 Capitol attack. A 2023 Supreme Court ruling had raised the legal threshold for such charges.
These actions highlight Trump’s intent to overhaul the Justice Department and address grievances from his time out of office. The administration has reassigned up to 20 senior DOJ officials, including ethics chief Bradley Weinsheimer and public corruption head Corey Amundson, who also resigned Monday.
Trump has criticized the DOJ for prosecuting him and his allies, framing the legal cases as political attacks. Smith’s resignation followed his decision to drop Trump’s prosecutions, citing DOJ policy against charging sitting presidents.
The personnel changes come ahead of a Senate vote on Trump’s attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi, scheduled for Wednesday.
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