US Justice Fires More Employees from Trump Probe Team

US Attorney General Pam Bondi fired several employees from Special Counsel Jack Smith's team, including at least two prosecutors, who worked on investigations involving President Donald Trump. The terminations are part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to dismiss employees who worked on cases related to Trump or his supporters. At least 37 people who worked on Smith's team have been terminated since Trump took office.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi has initiated a significant purge of employees from Special Counsel Jack Smith's team, including at least two prosecutors, who worked on investigations involving President Donald Trump. The terminations are part of a broader effort by the Justice Department to dismiss employees who worked on cases related to Trump or his supporters. According to various sources, at least 37 people who worked on Smith's team have been terminated since Trump took office [1].

The latest wave of firings includes at least nine Justice Department prosecutors and staffers who worked on criminal cases against Trump, as reported by The New York Times and Reuters [2]. The terminations are being carried out by Bondi's "Weaponization Working Group," which has been criticized as a means to carry out retribution against Trump's perceived enemies. The group has also been responsible for firing prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 riot cases and support staff who provided logistical help on the investigations [2].

The firings come as Bondi herself faces criticism from the right, including from figures such as Megyn Kelly and Laura Loomer, who have called for her resignation over the DOJ's handling of the Epstein case. The outcry prompted Bondi to delay the initial firings, which were supposed to take place earlier this week [2].

The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the terminations. However, one of the fired employees, Patty Hartman, who worked on the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney's Office public affairs team, characterized her dismissal as an indication of broader destabilization inside the Justice Department and Trump administration [1]. Hartman is considering a legal challenge over her termination.

The terminations raise concerns about the independence and integrity of the Justice Department, as well as the political motivations behind the firings. The purge of employees who worked on cases related to Trump and his supporters has been ongoing since his second inauguration, with multiple prosecutors and support staff being terminated in recent months [1, 3].

References:

[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fired-justice-department-official-we-are-falling-into-an-abyss/
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2025/07/12/pam-bondi-fires-doj-staffers-who-worked-on-trump-cases-amid-chaos-at-agency/
[3] https://www.axios.com/2025/07/12/pam-bondi-fires-justice-employees-jan6-documents-trump