Trump Administration Fires DOJ Lawyers Involved in Criminal Cases Against Former President

On Monday, the Trump administration dismissed over a dozen Justice Department lawyers who had played key roles in prosecuting former President Donald Trump. Acting Attorney General James McHenry, a Trump appointee, justified the firings by citing concerns over the lawyers’ loyalty, claiming they could not be trusted to implement the administration’s agenda. The dismissed officials had worked with Special Counsel Jack Smith on two federal cases involving Trump, both dropped after his November election victory.

The dismissals coincided with the launch of an internal review led by Ed Martin, Washington’s top federal prosecutor, into the department’s use of felony obstruction charges against individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot. Prosecutors had recently dropped several cases after the U.S. Supreme Court raised the legal standard for such charges in a 6-3 ruling. Meanwhile, Corey Amundson, former chief of the public corruption section, announced his resignation, marking further leadership changes within the department.

These developments underscore the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul the Justice Department following tensions over past prosecutions. Trump and his allies have long criticized the department, claiming legal actions against him and his supporters reflected a “weaponization” of the legal system. The Senate is expected to vote on Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, later this week.

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