Trump DOJ fires more than a dozen officials who worked with ex-special counsel Jack Smith


The Justice Department has fired more than a dozen officials involved in former special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of President Trump, The Post has confirmed.

Acting Attorney General James McHenry ordered the terminations because he believed the officials could not be trusted in “faithfully implementing the president’s agenda,” a DOJ official said in a statement to The Post.


Donald Trump’s Department of Justice fired over a dozen officials involved in Jack Smith’s prosecution of the president, The Post has confirmed. AP

“Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,” the statement read. “In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.”

The DOJ official argued that the firings are in line with the Trump administration’s “mission of ending the weaponization of government.”

McHenry notified the DOJ officials — who have not yet been identified — of their firings in a letter. It’s unclear exactly how many officials received termination letters from McHenry.


"Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump," the statement read. "In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda."
The DOJ official argued that the firings are in line with the Trump administration’s “mission of ending the weaponization of government.” AFP via Getty Images

The firings were first reported by Fox News on Monday.

The move comes days after the DOJ reportedly reassigned at least 15 career officials at the agency, including one who pushed for the FBI raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, to roles with less influence on the department’s major decisions.

Some were reassigned to the DOJ’s new Office of Sanctuary Cities Enforcement, the Washington Post reported last week.  

Smith, 55, brought two criminal cases against Trump, 78, over his alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results and retain classified documents after his presidency. 

The classified documents case was dismissed by a federal judge in Florida last July, and the election interference case was dismissed by a Washington, DC, federal judge soon after Trump’s Election Day victory. 

Smith, who was appointed special counsel by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, resigned his post earlier this month, before Trump was sworn in as the 47th president.

The former special counsel submitted a two-volume report to the DOJ detailing both cases before his resignation. 

In the volume on the classified documents case – the only one which has been released – Smith argues that the evidence his team had against Trump “was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”

Smith, however, noted the DOJ’s longstanding belief that prosecuting a sitting president would be unconstitutional. 

Trump has long claimed that Smith’s efforts to prosecute him were a “witch hunt” and emblematic of the Biden administration’s “weaponization” of the Justice Department.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him by Smith.

This is a developing story. Check back for more information.



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