House Democrats launch review of firing of former special counsel Jack Smith’s team

House Democratic leaders are asking the Justice Department for an explanation for the “firing and involuntary reassignment” of career Justice Department employees who worked for former special counsel Jack Smith.

In a letter from the highest-ranking Democratic members of the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees, Reps. Jamie Raskin and Gerald Connolly claim that the way in which the staffers were fired was carried out “without regard to their demonstrated competencies” and “very likely violated longstanding federal laws.”

President Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department, Pam Bondi, has not yet been confirmed; however, Acting Attorney General James McHenry fired about a dozen Justice Department employees who worked for Smith on the investigation and prosecution of President Trump on Monday. 

The Democrats also criticized Justice Department leadership for rescinding job offers to summer interns and entry-level attorneys and accused the department’s leadership of having White House staff scrub social media profiles of department employees to “ascertain their personal political leanings.”

“Taken together, your actions raise significant concern that you are determined to fill the ranks of the DOJ and FBI with career employees selected for the personal loyalty or political services they have rendered to President Trump,” the congressmen wrote, demanding details on why those who have been fired or reassigned were chosen. 

A Justice Department official told CBS News that McHenry had decided to fire these officials because “he did not believe these officials could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president.” 

Other officials who have not been fired have been involuntarily reassigned, sources told CBS News, resulting in at least one resignation by a longtime top career lawyer at the department.