Trump Administration Dismisses DOJ Lawyers Tied to Criminal Investigations**

In a significant move, the Trump administration has dismissed over a dozen Justice Department lawyers who played roles in two criminal investigations against Trump, further fueling claims of political motivation in legal pursuits against him.**

The Trump administration has taken the controversial step of firing more than a dozen Justice Department lawyers involved in two criminal cases against former President Donald Trump. This decision stemmed from the assessment of Acting Attorney General James McHenry, who determined that their involvement in prosecuting the president compromised their ability to "faithfully implement the president's agenda," a statement obtained by CBS News reveals.

The lawyers were part of the team led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who investigated Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Smith, appointed in 2022, oversaw these inquiries, which ultimately resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who has entered a not guilty plea. However, following Trump's victory in the November election, the cases were closed due to Justice Department regulations barring the prosecution of a sitting president.

Details on which specific members of Smith's team were dismissed remain unclear. Reports indicate these lawyers had years of experience as career prosecutors in areas like corruption and national security across different administrations. They received letters on Monday stating that their role in the investigations rendered them unsuitable for their positions within the department.

Legal experts have condemned the firings, viewing them as a threat to the rule of law. Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance described such dismissals as "unacceptable," deeming them contrary to democratic principles. This development coincides with significant reassessments of Justice Department leadership, which have seen the resignation of key officials, including the chief of the public integrity section.

As the Trump campaign intensifies, the former president has claimed that the Justice Department's investigations were driven by partisan motivations, labeling them as politically motivated attacks against him and his associates. His chosen candidate for the department's leadership, Pam Bondi, has echoed these sentiments, alleging long-standing politicization of federal law enforcement.

Jack Smith defended the integrity of his work, dismissing Trump's allegations that outside political forces influenced his decisions as "laughable." Meanwhile, in an unrelated move on the same day, Washington D.C.'s federal prosecutor announced an internal review concerning the handling of charges against individuals involved in the Capitol riots, a decision that underscores the ongoing scrutiny faced by the Justice Department in relation to political tensions.