At least three federal prosecutors involved in the prosecution of Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases have been abruptly fired by the Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to reports from the Associated Press and NBC News.
The dismissals reportedly include two supervisory attorneys who oversaw the Capitol riot prosecutions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., and one line prosecutor directly involved in multiple trials. Sources say the prosecutors were handed termination letters signed by Bondi, which cited only “Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States”—a standard legal reference for presidential authority to remove executive branch personnel. No specific reason for the firings was provided.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department for comment but has not received a response.
Firings Follow Trump Pardons, DOJ Reshuffle
The move comes months after President Trump returned to office in January 2025 and immediately pardoned or commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people convicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, calling them “political prisoners.”
This latest round of firings adds to a broader shake-up within the Justice Department. In January, more than a dozen senior DOJ officials who served on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigative team were also removed. Then–Acting Attorney General James McHenry justified the action by saying the individuals could not be trusted to carry out the president’s policies.
During that time, Ed Martin—who briefly served as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia—demoted multiple prosecutors in the Capitol Siege Section, including attorneys who had successfully prosecuted members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys for seditious conspiracy.
DOJ Internal Review Underway
Since taking office, Bondi has launched a sweeping internal audit of the DOJ’s priorities. In February, she announced the formation of a “weaponization working group” aimed at identifying what the administration calls “politicized justice” within the department.
That group is also reportedly examining the conduct of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom have pursued high-profile legal actions against Trump and his family.
The Justice Department has yet to make an official statement on the latest firings or on the future of the Capitol riot prosecutions.
