Justice Department Removes Officials Connected To Jack Smith Investigations

The Department of Justice has fired more than a dozen officials who played prominent roles in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into President Donald Trump. Acting Attorney General James McHenry announced the decision, stating these officials could not be trusted to effectively implement the president’s policies.

The terminated individuals were notified by official letters, according to a DOJ source. “The Acting Attorney General does not trust these individuals to assist in faithfully carrying out the administration’s agenda due to their involvement in actions targeting the president,” the official said.

Jack Smith, who was appointed special counsel in 2022 by Merrick Garland, led two high-profile investigations into Trump. One focused on Trump’s handling of classified documents, while the other examined his actions following the 2020 election. Both cases were dismissed after Trump’s 2024 election victory. Smith resigned after completing his investigations.

As part of sweeping changes in the Justice Department, senior officials in the criminal and national security divisions have also been reassigned. These changes are part of President Trump’s commitment to addressing what he calls the “weaponization” of federal agencies.

Additionally, Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin in Washington, D.C., launched a review of decisions made in Jan. 6-related cases. The review will assess the use of obstruction charges, which the Supreme Court has since ruled were overly broad. Prosecutors have been asked to submit internal communications and documents related to those cases.

Smith’s report stated that sufficient evidence had been collected to pursue charges, but DOJ policies prohibit prosecuting a sitting president. Only the first volume of his report, related to the 2020 election, has been released to the public.