Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP / Getty Images
The Justice Department has fired several officials who were involved in investigating President Donald Trump, according to reports on Monday (January 27). Acting Attorney General James McHenry stated that these officials could not be trusted to "faithfully implement the president's agenda." The firings affected those who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith's cases against Trump, which included charges related to overturning the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents.
The exact number of officials dismissed remains unknown, but among those let go were career prosecutors Molly Gaston, J.P. Cooney, Anne McNamara, and Mary Dohrmann, as reported by NBC News. The Justice Department's decision aligns with President Trump's executive order to end the "weaponization of the federal government," which he issued shortly after his inauguration.
The firings have sparked criticism from former Justice Department officials and legal experts. Joyce Vance, a former U.S. Attorney and NBC News contributor called the move "anti-rule of law" and "anti-democracy." Critics argue that retaliating against career civil servants for their involvement in the investigations could undermine future probes into public officials' misconduct.
Despite the dismissals, the affected employees have the right to appeal the decision to the federal Merit Systems Protection Board. Legal experts emphasize that career civil servants cannot be summarily fired and must be given due process, including warnings and the opportunity to hire legal representation.