Donald Trump’s weaponization of the US Department of Justice to focus on retribution against political foes, on fulfilling Maga goals and on granting pardons for allies has seen thousands of lawyers depart or be fired and weakened investigations in civil rights, national security and other areas, say ex-prosecutors and legal experts.
Data compiled by the non-partisan Justice Connection showed that overall justice department employment has dropped by about 5,500 lawyers and non-lawyers who have left since Trump took office. That included people who were fired, quit or took a deferred resignation program, underscoring a sharp drop in justice department resources. By contrast, the department last year employed about 10,000 attorneys, according to Department of Justice data.
