The Justice Department has fired more than a dozen officials who played central roles in former special counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of President Donald Trump, marking a significant shift in the agency's leadership under the newly inaugurated administration. The decision, announced Monday, comes just a week after Trump was sworn in for a second, non-consecutive term as president.
Acting Attorney General James McHenry led the move, which was framed as part of the administration's broader effort to "end the weaponization of government." A DOJ official, speaking to NBC News, said, "Today, Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump. In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the president's agenda."
While the department did not release the names or the exact number of officials dismissed, sources familiar with the matter told NBC that career prosecutors Molly Gaston, J.P. Cooney, Anne McNamara, and Mary Dohrmann were among those removed.
The firings come in the wake of Jack Smith's resignation on January 10, following the controversial dismissal of his cases against Trump. Smith had charged Trump in two high-profile cases: one concerning alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and another involving the mishandling of classified documents after Trump left the White House in January 2021.
Both cases faced significant legal setbacks. The election interference case, filed in Washington, D.C., was dismissed after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. DOJ policy prohibits prosecuting sitting presidents, and Smith's team sought to drop the charges shortly after the election. In the classified documents case, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled in July 2024 that Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, leading to its dismissal.
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance criticized the DOJ's recent actions, calling the firings "anti-rule of law" and "anti-democracy." Speaking to NBC News, she added, "Firing prosecutors because of cases they were assigned to work on is just unacceptable."
Trump's administration has prioritized reshaping the Justice Department, moving swiftly to reassign personnel and dissolve initiatives perceived as politically biased. During his campaign and following his inauguration, Trump repeatedly pledged to eliminate what he called the "weaponization" of federal agencies, particularly the DOJ.
The firings also follow the reassignment of several DOJ officials to initiatives such as a Sanctuary City task force in the administration's first week. "This action is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government," a DOJ official told Fox News Digital.
Smith's tenure as special counsel had been contentious. Appointed by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, Smith was tasked with overseeing investigations into Trump's handling of classified documents and his alleged interference with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election. While Trump pleaded not guilty in both cases, the legal battles intensified partisan divisions and drew sharp criticism from Trump's allies.
