Trump Administration Fires DOJ Lawyers Over Past Prosecutions

The Trump administration on Monday dismissed over a dozen Justice Department lawyers involved in criminal cases against former President Donald Trump. Acting Attorney General James McHenry, a Trump appointee, justified the terminations, claiming the lawyers were "untrustworthy" in implementing the President's agenda due to their roles in prosecuting him.

The move followed Special Counsel Jack Smith's resignation earlier this month after leading two federal cases against Trump. Both cases, involving classified documents and alleged interference in the 2020 election certification, were dropped following Trump's November election win, citing policies against prosecuting a sitting president. Trump had pleaded not guilty, labeling the cases as political "weaponization."

On the same day, Ed Martin, the federal prosecutor in Washington, initiated an internal review of the felony obstruction charge used in cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. This follows a Supreme Court decision raising the legal threshold for such charges, leading to their dismissal in several cases.

The administration also reassigned up to 20 senior DOJ officials, including ethics chief Bradley Weinsheimer and former public corruption head Corey Amundson, who later announced his resignation. These moves underscore Trump’s mistrust of the DOJ after past accusations of national security and election-related crimes.

The Senate is set to vote on Trump’s attorney general nominee, Pam Bondi, this week. The shakeup demonstrates the administration's resolve to overhaul the DOJ and seek accountability from officials involved in prosecutions against Trump during his time out of office.

By streamlining DOJ leadership, Trump aims to consolidate control amid ongoing debates about the department’s role in high-profile political cases.