Trump Administration Initiates Sweeping Purge of DOJ, FBI Officials Tied to Jan. 6 and Special Counsel Probes

In a dramatic overhaul of the Justice Department and FBI, the newly inaugurated Trump administration has commenced a widespread dismissal of officials, targeting those involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigation and former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probes into the president. Memos dated January 31 and reviewed by CBS News reveal directives for Washington, D.C.’s Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin to fire prosecutors assigned to Jan. 6 cases, with firings effective immediately.

Adding to the shake-up, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, formerly Trump’s defense attorney, has ordered a comprehensive review of all current and former FBI agents who worked on the Jan. 6 investigation. This directive includes the immediate termination of eight FBI executives by February 3, and a compiled list of all Jan. 6-related agents by February 4. The head of the Washington, D.C. Field Office is also slated for removal by February 10.

These actions, described as an expansion of an ongoing purge, align with President Trump’s campaign promise to address the ‘weaponization of the federal government.’ The administration’s stance, as articulated in internal memos, is that these personnel have ‘hindered the ability’ to implement the President’s agenda. The firings extend to more than a dozen federal prosecutors from Smith’s team, with charges against Mr. Trump having been dropped before his inauguration and the special counsel resigning.

While FBI Director-nominee Kash Patel stated during his confirmation hearing that ‘no one will be terminated for case assignments’ and ‘all FBI employees will be protected from political retribution,’ the FBI Agents Association has voiced strong opposition. They warn that dismissing potentially hundreds of agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s capacity to protect national security and criminal threats, contradicting commitments made by Patel and Attorney General-nominee Pam Bondi.

The moves come as Patel faces Senate Judiciary Committee questions, with the panel yet to vote on his confirmation. The full scope of affected personnel remains unclear, but the decision to include agents from the largest investigation in Justice Department history is expected to have far-reaching implications across the country.

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