By Steve Neavling
Multiple current and former senior officials at the Justice Department and FBI are preparing for potential criminal investigations by the incoming Trump administration, according to three sources familiar with their concerns, NBC News reports.
Several have already begun consulting with lawyers, anticipating legal and political challenges.
The alarm among Justice Department officials, already high after Trump’s election victory, has intensified following the nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz to lead the department. Gaetz, a staunch Trump ally who was previously under FBI investigation, is seen by many as a signal of Trump’s intent to target those involved in investigations against him.
“Everything we did was aboveboard,” said a former senior FBI official who is consulting attorneys in expectation of legal trouble. “But this is a different world.”
The official, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution, expressed confidence that any prosecutions would fail in court but acknowledged the potential for prolonged legal and financial strain.
Career FBI employees are particularly vulnerable, the official added, as many rely on pensions earned after decades of service.
“Agents have to do 20 years,” he said. “These people don’t have options.”
A former senior Justice Department official from Trump’s first term echoed concerns about Gaetz’s appointment, describing it as a move to ensure the president-elect’s control over the department.
“He needs to be able to control the department, which he can do through a loyal AG beholden to him,” the former official said.
Gaetz, whose federal sex trafficking investigation concluded without charges, “owes everything to Trump,” the official continued.
“Trump is confident that Gaetz will do whatever Trump tells him to do.”
Trump and his allies have long insisted that criminal investigations into him were politically motivated. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, called for all federal and state charges against Trump, including those related to Jan. 6, to be dropped.
Justice Department and FBI officials are bracing for the consequences of Trump’s pledge to seek retribution, with many fearing lengthy legal battles and investigations under the new administration.
