The seal for the Justice Department is photographed in Washington, Nov. 18, 2022. The Justice Department has announced three arrests in a complex stolen identity scheme that officials say generates enormous proceeds for the North Korean government, including for its weapons program. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Raskin and Connolly added that the officials worked "strenuously to defend the rule of law have been removed from their positions without any evaluation—much less any negative evaluation—of their work."
McHenry, on Monday, fired more than a dozen key officials on Smith’s team who worked to prosecute the president, saying that they could not be trusted in "faithfully implementing the president’s agenda."
Fox News Digital first reported the news exclusively on Monday.
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Raskin and Connolly argued that the officials terminated on Monday were "part of an expert, non-political workforce tasked with protecting our national security and public safety."
Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Gerry Connolly, R-Ma. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
"We have also received disturbing reports surfacing that White House staff are playing a substantial role in these employment decisions and examining career civil servants’ LinkedIn and other social media profiles to ascertain their personal political leanings," Raskin and Connolly wrote. "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."
Raskin and Connolly are demanding the DOJ provide them with a list of names of officials who have been reassigned or terminated; and provide any communications between the DOJ and the White House since Inauguration Day regarding the content of personal social media accounts of career DOJ employees or applicants.
Raskin and Connolly demanded the information by Feb. 11 at 5:00 p.m.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for North Carolina at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., January 24, 2025. (Leah Millis/Reuters)
Their letter comes after McHenry, on Monday, transmitted a letter to each official notifying them of their termination, a Justice Department official exclusively told Fox News Digital. It is unclear how many officials received that letter. The names of the individuals were not immediately released.
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"Acting Attorney General James McHenry terminated the employment of a number of DOJ officials who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump," a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. "In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda."
This action "is consistent with the mission of ending the weaponization of government," the official told Fox News Digital.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-democrats-demand-answers-dojs-move-fire-former-special-counsel-officials