Justice Department Fires Lawyers Involved in Prosecuting President Trump
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The U.S. Justice Department has fired several lawyers who had significant roles in prosecuting former President Donald Trump, deepening Trump’s alleged campaign against those he views as enemies. The fired employees worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss. The dismissals have been criticized as retaliation against civil servants for their work and could have a negative impact on the morale within the Justice Department and impede future investigations of public officials.
Justice Department Dismisses Lawyers Involved in Trump Prosecution
The Justice Department announced on Monday that it has terminated several lawyers involved in the prosecution of Donald Trump, a move seen as an escalation of the President’s campaign of retribution against his perceived enemies. The firing has involved those who worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s inquiry into Trump’s handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
“Acting Attorney General James McHenry ended the employment of several DOJ officials who were instrumental in prosecuting President Trump,” stated a Justice Department representative. “Given their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to faithfully implement the President’s agenda.”
Among the fired prosecutors are Molly Gaston, J.P. Cooney, Anne McNamara, and Mary Dohrmann, following Smith’s resignation earlier this month. Trump’s re-election effectively ended federal criminal cases against him due to the Justice Department’s policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
Only the New York hush money case against Trump, brought by Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, led to a conviction. Trump received an unconditional discharge without penalty, making him the first convicted felon to assume the presidency. The remaining trial, the Georgia election interference case, has been indefinitely stalled after prosecutor Fani Willis was removed from the case.
Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump claimed all investigations against him were politically motivated “witch hunts”. He accused Democrats of weaponizing the Justice Department to undermine his re-election.
Both Smith and former Attorney General Merrick Garland refuted the claim of political motivation. They attributed the criminal probes to Trump’s own actions, including his role in the Jan. 6 riot and failure to return classified documents to the National Archives.
Legal experts argue that retaliation against career civil servants is detrimental to future investigations of public officials’ misconduct. “Firing prosecutors due to assigned cases is unacceptable,” said former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, an NBC News legal contributor. “It goes against the rule of law and democracy.”
Officials from the Justice Department argued the action was justifiable. “The cost of potentially violated rights is infinitesimal compared to the risk of these officials not faithfully implementing the President’s agenda,” a Justice Department official stated.
The termination letter cited the lawyers’ roles in investigating Trump. The letter recognizes that the fired employees can appeal these decisions to the federal Merit Systems Protection Board.
Justice Department lawyer Julie Zebrak reminds that career civil servants can’t be fired summarily. “They need to follow a process,” she said, “which includes warnings and notice, and they should be allowed to hire lawyers before losing their jobs.”
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