ANKARA ( WNAM MONITORING): US President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to reshape the Department of Justice, including by firing attorneys involved in a pair of federal cases against him and by pursuing investigations into alleged fraud during the 2020 election, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
Trump’s plans, according to a report by the daily, include targeting career professionals at the department, typically insulated from political retaliation, who were involved in the probes by Special Counsel Jack Smith. The investigations are related to the president-elect’s decision to keep classified records in his possession after leaving office in 2021, and later lying to investigators about them, as well as Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
His focus on firing these individuals stems from his view that the investigations into his alleged mishandling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results were politically motivated.
“President Trump campaigned on firing rogue bureaucrats who have engaged in the illegal weaponization of our American justice system,” his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said. “The American people can expect he will deliver on that promise.”
Schedule F
In addition to restructuring the Justice Department, Trump intends to bring back Schedule F, an executive order he introduced before leaving office, which reclassifies a large number of career government employees to facilitate their removal.
Outgoing President Joe Biden reversed this order during his tenure, but Trump has vowed to reinstate it, a move that legal experts warn could take years to implement due to court challenges.
Despite his focus on the department, Trump’s efforts to reignite investigations into the 2020 election appear less prioritized.
Sources cited by The Washington Post described the plan to form investigative teams in key swing states as underdeveloped.
However, Trump remains vocal about his belief that the election was stolen, writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, that those responsible for “rampant cheating” would face severe consequences.
New attorney general nominee
Announcing Pam Bondi as his pick for attorney general after former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who was Trump’s first nominee, said he was withdrawing from consideration for the post, Trump emphasized a shift in the department’s focus.
“Pam will refocus the DOJ (Department of Justice) to its intended purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again,” he said.
Special Counsel Smith’s team, comprising FBI agents and attorneys from across the department, is already reportedly beginning to disband, with some members returning to their previous roles.
While Trump has indicated he may attempt prosecutions at the state level, his claims of election fraud remain unsubstantiated.
Trump, who beat Democrat Kamala Harris earlier this month in the presidential elections, will be inaugurated for his new term on Jan. 20.
