Justice Department Dismisses Key Prosecutors in Capitol Riot Cases

The Justice Department has abruptly terminated at least three federal prosecutors connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, as reported by various sources. This action comes under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondy.

Among those let go are two supervising attorneys who managed the Capitol riot prosecutions at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., as well as prosecutor Line, who had a direct role in multiple related cases, according to the Associated Press. It’s worth noting that NBC News has also independently verified this information.

The prosecutors received termination letters signed by Bondy. Interestingly, these letters didn’t provide specific reasons for their dismissal, referencing only “Article 2 of the US Constitution and US laws.” This language is often cited in federal employment contexts and signals administrative authority over staffing decisions.

Attempts to obtain confirmation or comments from the Department of Justice by Fox News Digital were met with no immediate response.

Former President Trump has repeatedly labeled those charged in connection with the January 6 incident as political prisoners. In a notable move, on his first day back in the White House in January 2025, he acted to commute the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals connected to the Capitol attack.

In another significant development, over 12 officials from former special advisor Jack Smith’s team were also dismissed in January. Attorney General James McHenry had justified these firings by claiming that those individuals were not deemed reliable enough to “put the president’s agenda faithfully” into practice.

When Ed Martin served as the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, he too made changes to the team handling Capitol riot cases, which included demoting prosecutors instrumental in securing convictions against key figures like Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys president Enrique Tarrio.

In February, Bondy initiated a review of Trump’s federal indictment and launched a comprehensive internal audit aimed at aligning the Department of Justice’s focus with the White House’s objectives. This initiative saw the establishment of a “Weaponization Working Group” that is tasked with scrutinizing “politicized justice” across federal law enforcement.

This group is reportedly considering the actions taken by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who’ve brought both civil and criminal actions against Trump and his family.