Pam Bondi fires two Jan. 6 prosecutors, sending another chill through DOJ workforce
Washington – At least two federal prosecutors who worked on cases against the rioters on January 6 were dismissed on Friday by the Ministry of Justice, according to more than half a dozen courses and former familiar civil servants with layoffs.
A copy of one of the letters of dismissal observed by NBC News was signed by the Attorney General Pam Bondi, informing the beneficiary that they were “withdrawn from the federal service in force immediately”. No reason for withdrawal was indicated in the letter.
One of the licensed employees was based abroad.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice did not immediately respond to a comment request on Friday evening.
Follow the political coverage live here.
The Trump administration at the end of January, dismissed the federal probation prosecutors who worked in the cases of January 6 and the prosecutors who worked on the investigation of former special lawyer Jack Smith on President Donald Trump. The administration has also demoted certain career prosecutors who worked on the Siege Capitol survey.
The probationary workers are either recent hires or have taken new positions.
Friday, the layoffs marked the first time that career prosecutors who had worked on January 6 and who had exceeded their probationary period of federal employment had been dismissed. It was also the first time that Bondi has dismissed the lawyers of the Ministry of Justice involved in the prosecution of January 6. Bondi was confirmed by the Senate in February, after the dismissal of probation prosecutors.
The layoffs come at a time when the fallout from the January 6 investigation – and the mass forgiveness of Trump, even the most violent rioters – continues to take advantage of the employees of the Ministry of Justice and the FBI. Many current and former officials told NBC News that the targeting of people who worked on the largest investigation in FBI history had had a frightening effect on the Ministry of Justice’s workforce and would leave career prosecutors and FBI officials hesitating to pursue business against all the ally of Trump for fear of being targeted by the administration.
A federal official of the application of laws called on “horrible” Friday layoffs and noted that the two prosecutors had served other titles before the 2024 elections.
“Localing them, without explanation, is a slap opposite not only for them, but for all MJ career prosecutors,” said the official. “No one is immune to the whims and impulses of this administration. And the public is certainly not served by the flight of the Doj’s brains – we lose the best of us every day.”
