Justice Department purges dozens of prosecutors involved in J6 cases

( Just the News )

The Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday released dozens of prosecutors from its ranks who were responsible for cases that stem from the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill in 2021. 

The move is the latest reshuffle from the new Donald Trump administration. The FBI shook up its agency on Friday as well, by demoting, reassigning, and firing some of its key players. Trump also fired multiple inspectors general last week.

Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin emailed the fired DOJ employees just before 5 p.m. Eastern, according to Politico. The email included a message from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove that detailed an effort to root out employees the new administration considered improperly hired by the Biden administration.

One anonymous source, who was among those fired on Friday, told Politico that approximately 25 to 30 of their colleagues were terminated. Some prosecutors were also moved to different offices. 

The move comes after Trump permanently ended the January 6 prosecutions by pardoning more than 1,500 of the defendants, and ordered the DOJ to drop all of the pending cases on his first day in office.