At least 26 former Special Counsel team members removed since President Trump’s return to office.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Nine additional staffers from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team have been dismissed by the Department of Justice, bringing the total number of terminations to at least 26 since President Donald Trump took office in January. The firings, confirmed in a Reuters report, included two prosecutors and seven support staff.
Attorney General Pam Bondi authorized the latest dismissals, which come amid an ongoing purge of DOJ personnel who participated in investigations targeting the president or his supporters. Smith’s team had pursued two high-profile cases against Trump: one over the alleged retention of classified documents following his first term, and another related to challenges to the 2020 election results.
The two recently dismissed prosecutors had been working in U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Florida and North Carolina. The rest of the group consisted of administrative and investigative staff connected to Smith’s broader team.
This is not the first major reduction of personnel tied to Smith’s investigation. On January 27, just one week after President Trump’s second inauguration, 14 attorneys from Smith’s team were let go. The ongoing restructuring underscores a wider effort by the DOJ to remove officials perceived to be aligned with prior prosecutorial efforts against the president.
In addition to the Smith team firings, DOJ leadership has also dismissed staff involved in the prosecution of Trump supporters linked to the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach. Last month, two prosecutors and a supervisor were terminated. Several other probationary prosecutors handling January 6 cases have also reportedly been removed.
The wave of dismissals aligns with President Trump’s broader campaign pledge to overhaul the Department of Justice and address what he has repeatedly referred to as political weaponization within federal law enforcement.
Since resuming office, Trump has issued more than 1,500 pardons for individuals convicted or charged in connection with the events of January 6th.