WASHINGTON — A group of legal representatives has raised concerns over reported terminations of career Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors and FBI agents involved in investigations related to former President Donald Trump, calling the move a violation of due process and a threat to national security.
In a letter dated February 2, 2025, addressed to Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, the attorneys stated that individuals affected by the firings were being unlawfully discharged and that making their names public could endanger them and their families.
“These actions appear to be in violation of the due process rights of those to be unlawfully discharged,” the letter read. “Moreover, if information about these individuals is made publicly available, it also threatens the safety of dedicated career public servants and potentially of their innocent family members.”
The letter cited “credible reports” indicating that the FBI had been directed to terminate employees who participated in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the classified documents probe at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. It further alleged that the DOJ planned to publicly release the names of those dismissed, which the authors argued would expose them to potential harassment, doxing, or worse.
The attorneys urged the DOJ to ensure that any employment actions taken against these officials comply with statutory and constitutional protections for civil servants, emphasizing the risks involved in targeting those who “fulfilled their oath to uphold and defend the rule of law.”