Attorney General Pam Bondy has reportedly let go of several employees at the Justice Department (DOJ) this week, linked to former special advisor Jack Smith. Smith’s investigation focused on President Trump’s handling of classified documents and his actions surrounding the 2020 election.
At least nine DOJ workers were dismissed by Bondy on Friday, as reported by multiple media outlets, including the New York Times, Axios, and the Washington Post. In total, around twenty employees have been terminated, including former staffers and some attorneys.
The firings notably included two prosecutors who worked with Smith, according to various news sources citing anonymous insiders. Reuters was among the first to report on the terminations late Friday.
This move appears to be part of an effort to clean house within the department regarding those involved in Smith’s investigations into Trump’s record retention at Mar-a-Lago as well as the election interference allegations.
Smith had pointed out the DOJ’s earlier policies regarding classified documents and the election-related case, which led to a failure to indict a sitting president.
Earlier this year, the DOJ had already dismissed at least twelve prosecutors working on cases involving Trump, citing trust issues.
The recently fired individuals were said to be part of what’s referred to as the DOJ’s “Weaponization Working Group.” This information became available through reports released over the weekend.
Additionally, Patty Hartman, a Public Relations Specialist, was terminated earlier this week. Hartman was part of the media team for the US Attorneys in Washington, D.C.
According to a statement made to CBS News by a now-former official, “The rules don’t exist anymore.” They noted that there used to be a clear separation between the White House and the DOJ.
