The Justice Department, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, abruptly removed at least three career prosecutors who had been actively handling cases tied to the January 6 Capitol riot. Among those ousted were two supervisors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., and one line prosecutor deeply involved in Capitol siege prosecutions. Their termination letters, signed by Bondi, cited Article II authority without providing explicit reasons.
Sources describe this move as part of ongoing personnel changes within the DOJ that critics say disproportionately affect legal teams tied to cases involving Trump supporters. The action follows earlier dismissals and demotions of prosecutors connected to high-profile prosecutions and underscores concerns about political influence over the department.
This decision comes amid sweeping pardons from President Trump for over 1,500 individuals linked to the Capitol events, prompting alarms from legal experts and watchdogs about the independence of federal law enforcement.