Justice Dept. fires longtime spokesperson who worked for Robert Mueller and Jack Smith

Peter Carr, a longtime Justice Department spokesman, has been fired by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Carr told CBS News. 

Carr did not say why he was terminated, but said it was the deputy attorney general who fired him. Carr was a career employee of the department’s office of public affairs. In that role, he served as spokesman for special counsels Jack Smith and Robert Mueller. Smith brought two federal criminal cases against President Trump after the president’s first term. And Mueller conducted a 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the actions of the Trump campaign and possible obstruction of justice. 

Blanche was one of President Trump’s personal attorneys before he took office, and was a key figure on the president’s defense teams in the New York “hush money” criminal case against Mr. Trump and the federal cases brought by Smith. 

The Justice Department declined to comment. 

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

Scott MacFarlane

Scott MacFarlane is CBS News’ Justice correspondent. He has covered Washington for two decades, earning 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. His reporting has resulted directly in the passage of five new laws.