The Justice Department confirmed Monday that it has terminated “over a dozen” officials who previously worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s teams involved in prosecuting former President Donald Trump.
Acting Attorney General James McHenry issued letters to the affected officials, citing their involvement in the prosecutions as a factor in the decision. The letters stated that these individuals could not be trusted to “faithfully implement the president’s agenda,” according to officials who spoke to ABC News.
While the exact number of terminations remains unclear, the move comes as no surprise following Trump’s repeated campaign promises to remove Smith and those involved in his cases.
Jack Smith, the former special counsel, resigned before Trump’s second inauguration and submitted his final report to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland. Volume 1 of the report, detailing Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election, was released by Garland. However, District Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the release of Volume 2, which reportedly explored Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office.
Additionally, longtime Justice Department official Bradley Weinsheimer, the top career official in the department, was reassigned from his position. Weinsheimer, known for high-profile exchanges with President Joe Biden’s attorneys, gained attention last year for his involvement in disputes over the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, which addressed Biden’s mental fitness.
This marks another significant step in the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the Justice Department amid lingering controversies from previous administrations.