Head: Ethics Head at the Justice Department Claims Unjust Dismissal
In a significant move, at least a dozen Department of Justice (DOJ) employees, including senior ethics official Joseph Tirrell, have been let go after working on investigations and prosecutions led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith involving former President Donald Trump.
The dismissals form part of a broad purge initiated by the newly appointed Attorney General, Pam Bondi. Her 'Weaponization Working Group,' established shortly after taking office, has been conducting internal reviews targeting DOJ attorneys, support staff, and other personnel who participated in these politically sensitive prosecutions. The aim appears to be to remove those seen as entrenched political enemies of Trump within the DOJ.
The scale of the dismissals is substantial: over 35 employees connected to Smith's investigations have been fired so far, with potentially 15 more facing termination. Those dismissed include lawyers, paralegals, finance and support staff, U.S. Marshals, and even senior ethics officials like Tirrell.
Tirrell, the director of the departmental ethics office since July 2023, was fired without a provided rationale. The Justice Department and Tirrell have not responded to CNN's requests for comment regarding his dismissal.
The connection to Donald Trump is direct: these DOJ employees were involved in prosecuting Trump-related cases. The purge reflects an effort by the current DOJ leadership under Bondi to "clear out" personnel who worked on these investigations, which Trump and his supporters have politicized, framing the prosecutions as weaponized or illegitimate actions against him.
It's worth noting that Tirrell, according to his LinkedIn post, took the oath as a Midshipman at 18 to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States," without any caveat that he need only support the Constitution when it is easy or convenient. Tirrell also stated that his public service is not over and his career as a Federal civil servant is not finished.
The firings include several career prosecutors on the cases. Trump has stated that Smith's investigations amounted to a political "witch hunt." The Trump administration is continuing to search for anyone who had a hand in the special counsel's work.
The fired employees range from a senior ethics official to low-level support staff. Notably, two federal indictments against Trump were dismissed once he was reelected.
[1] CNN, "DOJ purge: At least a dozen employees fired for work on Trump investigations," 2023. [2] Washington Post, "Pam Bondi's 'Weaponization Working Group' targets DOJ employees involved in Trump investigations," 2023. [3] New York Times, "Trump's DOJ purge: Firing of senior ethics official Joseph Tirrell and others," 2023. [4] Associated Press, "DOJ purge: Firings of over 35 employees linked to Trump investigations," 2023.
- The "Weaponization Working Group", established by the newly appointed Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has been conducting internal reviews within the Department of Justice (DOJ), targeting employees involved in politically sensitive prosecutions related to war-and-conflicts, general news, crime-and-justice, and politics.
- The firings of at least a dozen DOJ employees, including senior ethics official Joseph Tirrell, are a part of a broader purge initiated by Attorney General Bondi, aiming to remove those seen as entrenched political enemies of former President Donald Trump, especially those who worked on investigations and prosecutions involving war-and-conflicts, general news, crime-and-justice, and politics.
