Several federal prosecutors were abruptly dismissed on Wednesday as the Trump administration initiated a sweeping personnel change at the Department of Justice. The number of terminations remains unclear, but reports indicate that at least 12 U.S. attorneys have been removed from their positions, with more possibly affected.
Among those dismissed was Tara McGrath, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, who learned of her termination through a White House communication. Other high-ranking prosecutors ousted include Erek L. Barron of Maryland, Dena J. King of North Carolina, and Tessa Gorman of Washington. These attorneys were either nominated by Joe Biden or appointed under his administration.
93 federal prosecutors just opened their email to this: pic.twitter.com/LdozagyN8e
— Randy Bush (@randy270281) February 13, 2025
A letter sent to at least one of the dismissed attorneys, reportedly from the deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel, stated, “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as U.S. Attorney is terminated, effective immediately.” The direct involvement of the White House in these removals marks a departure from standard protocol, as such decisions have traditionally been handled by the Justice Department.
President Trump has FIRED all federal prosecutors appointed by Biden. Too bad we can't get rid of Obama lawyer from Texas House! #txlege pic.twitter.com/CZ03kL2YOq
— Abraham George 🇺🇸 (@abrahamgeorge) February 13, 2025
The shake-up comes amid significant restructuring efforts within federal law enforcement. Since taking office, Trump has granted pardons to individuals convicted in cases related to the January 6 protests and appointed an advocate for those defendants as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. The administration has also sought personnel lists from the FBI, specifically requesting names of agents involved in Capitol-related investigations.
What’s that? Trump fired ALL federal prosecutors?
Turn it up! “YMCA!” pic.twitter.com/H9foyTZU9i— KerryO-akaGypsy1776 (@oneilkagypsy) February 13, 2025
Sen. Tom Cotton revealed that Jonathan Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, had initially been dismissed but was reinstated after intervention from senior White House officials.
The Justice Department has yet to release an official statement detailing the full extent of the terminations. More removals may follow as the administration continues its overhaul of the DOJ and FBI.
