By Steve Neavling
The acting attorney general, James McHenry, fired more than a dozen prosecutors who had worked on the criminal investigations into Donald Trump, claiming they could not be trusted to “faithfully implement” the president’s agenda, a Justice Department spokesman said Monday.
The firings, which targeted career prosecutors, sparked outrage among Justice Department veterans who said it violated laws meant to safeguard the agency’s integrity, The New York Times reports.
“This is unprecedented, given the career status of these people,” said Greg Brower, a former U.S. attorney, adding that the dismissed prosecutors are likely to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
McHenry justified the dismissals by citing the president’s constitutional authority under Article II, rather than alleging misconduct or poor performance.
“Given your significant role in prosecuting the president, I do not believe that the leadership of the department can trust you to assist in implementing the president’s agenda faithfully,” the firing memo read.
Legal experts, including federal employment attorney Kristin Alden, called the move a stark violation of civil service laws designed to prevent political retaliation.
“The whole reason we have the Civil Service Reform Act is to get away from the spoils system,” Alden said.
The firings coincided with another personnel shake-up: Bradley Weinsheimer, the department’s most senior career official, was reassigned to a less powerful role.
The Trump administration has vowed to overhaul the Justice Department, asserting more direct White House control over federal law enforcement.
