Attorney General Pam Bondi Terminates Additional Employees Tied to Trump Investigations

On Friday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi took the significant step of firing additional employees from the Justice Department associated with the investigations spearheaded by Special Counsel Jack Smith. These dismissals are tied to inquiries into President Donald Trump’s retention of classified materials and his actions to challenge the results of the 2020 election, affecting around 20 individuals from various roles including attorneys, support staff, and U.S. marshals.

Sources indicated that at least two of the terminated employees were prosecutors with experience in other U.S. Attorneys' offices in Florida and North Carolina. This action is part of a broader initiative by the Justice Department, which has been systematically let go of personnel related to cases involving Trump or his affiliates, citing the president's executive powers as the basis for these decisions.

This pattern of dismissals has been ongoing since January, with an earlier instance where 14 attorneys connected to Smith’s work were previously terminated due to concerns that they could not represent Trump’s agenda. In total, the number of personnel dismissed from Smith’s team has now reached at least 37 since Trump assumed office on January 20.

Moreover, the Justice Department has also been removing individuals who were involved in prosecuting cases tied to the January 6 Capitol riot, as demonstrated by the recent firings involving three prosecutors associated with the Proud Boys. Additional terminations have included a long-serving spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington and probationary attorneys engaged in January 6 casework. Earlier in 2023, Smith filed two criminal cases against Trump, alleging misconduct regarding national security documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome, but both cases were ultimately dropped prior to Trump’s return to office.