The Trump administration on Friday removed several senior officials from the Justice Department, further diminishing the presence of career officials within the agency, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The ousting of lawyers handling the Justice Department’s pardon work, bankruptcy litigation, and other legal matters represents the administration's ongoing effort to replace senior officials with extensive experience. Additionally, the official in charge of the Office of Professional Responsibility, which oversees internal ethics investigations, was also removed but placed on administrative leave.
These removals contribute to a growing sense of turmoil and concern within the Justice Department as the new administration aims to assert control over the agency, focusing on loyalty to President Trump.
Elizabeth Oyer, the Justice Department’s pardon attorney, announced on LinkedIn that she had been dismissed from her position after dedicating three years to her role. In her post, she shared her dismissal letter, which was signed by Todd Blanche, the newly confirmed deputy attorney general and a former criminal defense lawyer for Trump.
Two spokesmen for the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Attorney General Pam Bondi has expressed her intention to end what she describes as the “weaponization” of the department, alleging without substantial evidence that prosecutors improperly pursued cases against Trump during the Biden administration.
Critics of the recent personnel changes argue that they will undermine the authority of career law enforcement officials and empower pro-Trump individuals to target the president's perceived enemies.
Concerns have been raised, particularly regarding the sidelining of the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility, as there are multiple legal ethics questions surrounding senior department officials, including Emil Bove, a former defense lawyer for Trump who now works for Blanche.
The traditionally nonpartisan department has faced allegations of politicization under Trump, especially following Bove’s controversial directive to drop a criminal case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, claiming it hindered Trump's immigration efforts. This decision led to the resignation of at least eight prosecutors and supervisors, and two Manhattan prosecutors associated with the case were placed on administrative leave.
Senate Democrats are also seeking an investigation into Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, accusing him of abusing his prosecutorial power to threaten political adversaries. Trump has nominated Martin for a permanent position in that office.
One of the senior lawyers who was dismissed expressed surprise at the presence of officials sent to inform them of their termination, according to sources.
To date, the department has dismissed over a dozen prosecutors involved in cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and has forced out senior executives from the FBI.