Trump Purges Justice Department Prosecutors Over Refusal to Target Foes

President Donald Trump oversaw a wave of removals and resignations of high-ranking officials and prosecutors within the United States Department of Justice. The departures occurred after officials refused to pursue indictments against political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In Virginia, Trump removed U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert and prosecutor Maggie Cleary from the Eastern District, replacing Siebert with loyalist Lindsey Halligan. U.S. Attorney Todd Gilbert and deputy Zachary Lee also left the Western District following conflicts with the White House. In New York, interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon and several other prosecutors resigned after the administration pushed to drop charges against Mayor Eric Adams in exchange for immigration policy concessions.

Additional resignations took place in Washington, D.C., where prosecutors cited the erosion of departmental independence and pressure to open politically motivated investigations. High-level career prosecutor Michael Ben'Ary was fired, claiming that leadership prioritized punishing the president's enemies over national security concerns.