Employees of about a dozen justice department working for former special lawyer Jack Smith President Trump is being expelled and fired on prosecution, familiar with CBS News familiar with the two sources. Federal prosecutors were informed about the decision to abolish their posts through a letter sent on email after the leadership of the Department of Justice, it was determined that he was unable to carry out the agenda of Mr. Trump. .
An official of the Department of Justice told CBS News, “Acting Attorney General James McHeenry took the decision because he did not believe that these officials were not confident to implement the President's agenda due to their important role in prosecution of the President. Can be trusted. ”
Blacksmith In 2022, Attorney General was appointed by Merry Garland and conducted two ongoing investigations of the President, one was related to the classified record and the other was associated with his conduct after the 2020 presidential election.
Both cases were rejected after Mr. Trump won the 2024 presidential election. Smith informed the judges, overseeing the cases, that the policy of the Department of Justice refuses the prosecution of a sitting president.
During his entire investigation, the former Special Counsel prepared an employee of prosecutors and agents to conduct a grand jury investigation and try cases in court. It is not immediately clear that Smith's team members were fired, but this step is good at the promise of the Trump campaign for a clean house in the Department of Justice. Last week, President signed An executive order To take the “weapons of the federal government”, a characterization that he applied to Smith's prosecution.
Fox News The first was to report on firing.
The news of the firing came on the same day when the top federal prosecutor of Washington, DC launched an internal review of hundreds of charging decisions. January 6, 2021, Capital Riot Case. Two people familiar with the move confirmed CBS News that US Attorney Edward Martin in prosecutors in his office, documents in their office, email and other information related to the decision of previous administration, a barrier against the defendant of more than 200 capital attacks. Ording to bring the charge.
The issue on the issue is those in which the defendants were accused of obstructing an official proceedings, an allegation that the Supreme Court later ruled, was very widely implemented by federal prosecutors.
During the January 6 investigation, after a sudden ended last week, President Trump faced challenges against more than 1,500 persons, defendants and their lawyers on several fronts. Had brought elections. Riot case. The Supreme Court eventually limited the use of laws of prosecutors.
The new review is determined to investigate the decision making decision behind the use of that charge, people said.
The news of review was first reported Wall Street Journal,
The US Attorney's office did not respond to the remarks request.
Smith – who resigned from his position after completion of his investigation – wrote Report The investigation that his team had gathered enough evidence to “achieve and maintain a punishment in the trial,” if the case related to the alleged conduct of Mr. Trump went for a test test around the 2020 election.
Only the first section of Smith's report, which described Mr. Trump's investigation into the 2020 electoral conduct, was released to the public. The second volume currently is preserved by the public view, while an appeal continues in the case of classified documents.
In the report, Smith defended his work as political. And in a letter with the final draft, he wrote, “All who know me well, for Mr. Trump's claim that my decisions as an prosecutor were influenced or directed by Biden administration or other political actors, a word. In, one is in a word, laughing. “
Mr. Trump called Smith “desperate” and “deranged” and denied wrongdoing during continuous investigation.
In addition, on Monday, the head of the public integrity section of the Department of Justice resigned from his post, which was re -appointed, a source familiar with the case confirmed CBS News. According to court documents, the officer was first appointed to the post during the Trump administration, and his political corruption unit later advised Smith on various aspects of cases against Mr. Trump.
NBC News First reported to resign. The Department of Justice did not respond to the recommendations of the comment.
Last week, several career justice department officials took over high-profile posts. Senior criminal and national security leaders were included within two of the most important sections of the department among the affected officials, two sources told CBS News at that time. Career officials have handled several high-profile investigations in administrations.