Newly installed Justice Department officials on Wednesday tried to ease concerns about the department’s National Security Division after two of the division’s most experienced prosecutors were removed. The new Trump administrationsources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Sources said the move has rattled some prosecutors, who worry about what’s next for the branch that handles some of the nation’s most sensitive matters, including cases related to global terrorism, domestic extremism, foreign espionage and influence operations, criminal violations and leaks. classified information
According to a source, however, no further personnel changes are planned in the division.
At a division-wide conference call Wednesday morning, National Security Division Acting Chief Devin DeBacker praised the two fired prosecutors, thanked them for their service, and gave each of them a chance to say goodbye to their colleagues. said a source familiar with the call.
One of the prosecutors, George Toscas — who has been with the National Security Division since its inception in the George W. Bush administration — was told a day or two earlier that he had two weeks to file for a new immigration case. The task force focused on running “sanctuary cities” or leaving the Justice Department, sources told ABC News. The other prosecutor, Eun Young Choi — who has been with the Justice Department for more than a decade — was given a similar instruction, according to the sources.
A source told ABC News that both Toscas and Choi were emotional during Wednesday’s call, saying Toscas was honored to serve in the National Security Division and was committed to her role.
The two prosecutors, who became assistant attorneys under the Biden administration, were among career Justice Department officials removed from their posts, including officials from the department’s Criminal Division and the Executive Office of Immigration Review, which oversees the nation’s immigration courts. , current and former Justice Department officials said.
In this Jan. 20, 2024, file photo, the US flag flies over a sign representing the US Department of Justice (DOJ) headquarters building in Washington, DC.
J. David Ake/Getty Images, FILE
A current official told ABC News that the Justice Department was outsourcing the “brain trust” of career officials in favor of ostensibly Trump loyalists. Trump has accused the Justice Department of unfairly targeting him for years, saying in his own words inaugural address on Monday that his new administration will end the “vicious, violent and unjust weaponization of the Justice Department.”
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland and other senior Justice Department officials have consistently denied the claims, insisting their investigations were fair and fact-based.
It’s unclear what prompted the Trump administration to remove Toscas, Choi and the other officials from identification. However, Toscas held senior positions in the National Security Division while the Justice Department opened many of the investigations that have angered Trump and his allies over the years, including the initial investigation into the alleged impeachment. Connections between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and the latest investigation into Trump’s handling of it classified documents After leaving office in 2021.
The Washington Post previously reported, as part of its investigation of classified documents, that Toscas agreed FBI search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022.
At the same time, while Toscas was among its leaders, the National Security Division helped investigate and indict suspected spies, terrorists and other criminals, including an Iranian man who was seeking to kill Trump.
Toscas has been assigned to the Justice Department’s newly created “Office of Sanctuary Cities Enforcement,” which a statement from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said would seek to identify “inconsistent local laws and activities.” The Trump administration’s immigration initiatives, and then “take legal action” when necessary.
It is unclear whether Toscas or Choi plan to accept their new roles. Efforts by ABC News to reach them were unsuccessful.
DeBacker became acting head of the National Security Division after Trump took office. He first served in Trump’s White House and spent the final months of the administration in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. He joined the National Security Division in early 2022 under the Biden administration, overseeing foreign investment review efforts, according to his LinkedIn page.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who represented Trump in his first impeachment, is awaiting Senate confirmation to become the next US attorney general. Nominees for other top Justice Department positions, including the head of the National Security Division, have not yet been named.
