In a sweeping move, the Department of Justice fired 20 staff members linked with special counsel Jack Smith following President Donald Trump's return to office, the Daily Caller reported.
The dismissals signal the termination of investigations tied to Trump, involving issues from the 2020 election to the management of classified documents.
The firings, detailed by the Daily Caller News Foundation, included two prosecutors, twelve support staff, and six U.S. marshals, all integral to the controversial DOJ investigations.
Further reports by Axios and Reuters also highlighted these terminations, underscoring a broader pattern of departmental changes occurring simultaneously on Friday.
This wave of dismissals follows an earlier purge where over a dozen DOJ officials were let go in January, marking a decisive pivot in the department's direction under the new administration.
Despite the dramatic staff reductions, the White House remains silent, offering no comment regarding the layoffs.
Joseph Tirrell, former director of the Departmental Ethics Office, publicly shared his termination on LinkedIn, detailing his pivotal role within the department.
"Until Friday evening, I was the senior ethics attorney at the Department of Justice," Tirrell disclosed on LinkedIn, highlighting his oversight of the DOJ's ethics standards.
Patty Hartman from the U.S. Attorney's Office also confirmed her dismissal, indicating a significant alteration in the DOJ's operational independence in a statement to CBS News.
Jack Smith had stepped down from his special counsel role before these firings, right before President Trump's new term began in January.
His final report suggested that sufficient evidence could have led to President Trump's conviction if he had not been reelected, particularly pointing out the inadequacies in the insurrection charges connected to January 6.
The closure of these investigations marks a definitive end to the probes that had been a focal point of Trump's previous term.
Hartman's remarks to CBS News underscored the blurred lines between the White House and the DOJ, a stark shift from previous administrations' practices. "That line is very definitely gone," she noted, suggesting deeper implications on the DOJ's functionality and autonomy.
The aftermath of these firings and the broader closures of related cases is poised to impact national discourse around legal independence and executive influence over judicial proceedings.
The unfolding developments invite scrutiny and debate over the justice system's impartiality and resilience in political climates marked by profound shifts in power and policy orientation.
