The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has suddenly dismissed at least three federal prosecutors connected to cases from the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to multiple reports.
The Associated Press, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that the firings included two supervisory attorneys who oversaw Capitol riot prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., as well as a line prosecutor who handled several related trials. NBC News has also independently confirmed the dismissals.
The prosecutors received termination letters signed by Bondi. Both outlets reported that the letters gave no specific reason for the dismissals, only citing “Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States.” This phrase is commonly used in federal employment to reference the executive branch’s constitutional authority to hire or fire personnel.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for confirmation and comment but did not get an immediate response.
President Trump has consistently described the Jan. 6 defendants as political prisoners. On his first day back in office in January 2025, he pardoned or commuted the sentences of around 1,500 individuals who had been convicted or jailed in connection with the Capitol riot.
The recent terminations are part of a broader reshuffling of senior Justice Department personnel.
Back in January, the department removed over a dozen officials involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump. Then–Acting Attorney General James McHenry defended the decision by claiming those individuals couldn’t be trusted to “faithfully implement the president’s agenda.”
While serving as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, Ed Martin also demoted several prosecutors in the Capitol Siege Section. That group included two attorneys who had helped secure seditious conspiracy convictions against Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio.
In February, Attorney General Bondi ordered a review of the federal prosecution of Donald Trump and initiated a broad internal audit to “realign the Justice Department’s priorities” with the White House agenda. As part of that effort, she created a “weaponization working group” to investigate what’s seen as “politicized justice” within federal law enforcement.
The group is also reportedly examining the actions of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom pursued civil and criminal cases against Trump and his family.
Leave a Reply