by According to two persons familiar with the situation, the Trump administration fired another group of over ten Justice Department employees, some in relatively small roles, who had previously worked for the special counsel’s office that indicted President Trump twice.
The firings on Friday were the most recent indication that the administration was probing deep into the Justice Department’s internal operations to identify and fire not only those directly involved in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Trump during his four years in office, but also those who had served in supporting capacities in the office of special counsel Jack Smith.
Two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid discussing a politically sensitive topic said that the recent firings, which include at least two federal prosecutors, seemed to once again disregard traditional civil service protections and were based on a broad assertion of presidential authority.
According to the two individuals, Mr. Smith’s office had at least seven other sacked employees who worked as support personnel. By managing duties including information security, paralegal work, and financial record supervision, they assisted in running the office.
Since the beginning of Mr. Trump’s second administration, his aides have made repeated attempts to demote, fire, or penalize those involved in the charges against him as well as those with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
Anyone connected to these instances has been periodically removed from government positions; new firings occur at various times and frequently with little justification other than the reference to Article II of the Constitution, which outlines the president’s authority.
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