White House Directs DOJ To Fire Dozens Of Federal Prosecutors

The Trump administration has dismissed multiple U.S. attorneys as part of a broader shake-up at the Department of Justice. While the total number remains uncertain, at least a dozen prosecutors have been confirmed as terminated, with more potentially affected.

Tara McGrath, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, was among those removed, with her office confirming that she was notified by the White House. Erek L. Barron of Maryland, Dena J. King of North Carolina and Ismail Ramsey of California also confirmed their departures. Some of those dismissed had been nominated by Joe Biden, while others were court-appointed or placed in their roles by the judiciary.

One terminated prosecutor received a letter from the White House stating, “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as U.S. Attorney is terminated, effective immediately.” Typically, these dismissals are carried out by the Justice Department, rather than being directly ordered by the White House.

The move comes as Trump’s administration pushes to reshape the DOJ following his return to office. In his first days as president, he pardoned numerous January 6 defendants and installed an advocate for them as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. The administration has also sought personnel records from the FBI, reportedly requesting the names of agents involved in investigations related to the Capitol protests.

The rapid restructuring has raised questions about the future direction of federal law enforcement under Trump. Critics argue that the direct White House intervention in these firings could signal further changes at the highest levels of the Justice Department and FBI.

The DOJ has yet to comment on how many attorneys were ultimately dismissed. As Trump’s administration continues reshaping the department, more personnel changes could be on the horizon.

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