Justice Dept. Fires Prosecutors Involved In Jan. 6 Cases: Report
The Trump administration dismissed a group of prosecutors handling January 6-related cases on Friday and requested the names of FBI agents involved in those investigations, potentially signaling further removals, according to reports released Saturday.
These actions underscore the administration’s push to take control of federal law enforcement and remove career officials deemed unable to carry out their responsibilities and President Donald Trump’s agenda impartially, the Associated Press reported.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove authorized the terminations of the January 6 prosecutors just days after President Donald Trump issued broad clemency to more than 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol breach, as detailed in a memo obtained by The AP.
Approximately two dozen employees from the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington were let go, a source with knowledge of the matter revealed on condition of anonymity.
In another memo, Bove named several senior FBI officials who were directed to either retire or face dismissal by Monday. He also requested details regarding the names, titles, and office locations of all FBI personnel involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol incident.
The bureau’s acting director suggested that this list could encompass thousands of employees.
Bove, who previously defended Trump in legal proceedings before joining the administration, stated that Justice Department leadership would conduct a “review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”
“As we’ve said since the moment we agreed to take on these roles, we are going to follow the law, follow FBI policy, and do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people — always,” acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll reassured bureau staff in a letter.
The terminated prosecutors had initially been hired on a temporary basis to assist with January 6 prosecutions but were transitioned into permanent roles under the Biden-Harris administration following Trump’s election victory in November, according to the AP-obtained memo.
Bove asserted in his memo that he would not “tolerate subversive personnel actions by the previous administration.”
During his confirmation hearing on Thursday, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, was asked whether he had knowledge of any plans to dismiss or penalize FBI employees involved in investigations concerning Trump. Patel responded that he was unaware of such plans and affirmed that, if confirmed, he would uphold the FBI’s standard review protocols before taking disciplinary actions, the AP reported.
When questioned by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on whether he would reverse any prior decisions made without following the established process, Patel stated, “I don’t know what’s going on right now over there, but I’m committed to you, senator, and your colleagues, that I will honor the due process of the FBI.”
Critics in the media and the Democratic Party have alleged that Trump is seeking to “bend” federal law enforcement to his will. However, it is worth noting that the Biden-Harris administration took the unprecedented step of utilizing the FBI and Justice Department to prosecute Trump, then a former president, after he left office—including in one case involving allegations that President Joe Biden himself had mishandled classified documents in a similar manner.
While those cases have been dismissed, supporters of the current administration argue that it would be difficult for many of the agents and prosecutors who voluntarily took on those cases to now set aside any personal biases and work impartially under the leadership of someone they previously attempted to convict.
When asked on Friday whether he had any role in the DOJ and FBI dismissals, Trump responded, “No, but we have some very bad people over there. It was weaponized at a level that nobody’s never seen before. They came after a lot of people — like me — but they came after a lot of people.”
He continued, “If they fired some people over there, that’s a good thing because they were very bad.”