The new US administration has dismissed over a dozen lawyers involved in the investigation and criminal cases against former President Donald Trump. The dismissal comes after these lawyers played key roles in the legal proceedings against Trump, including investigations into the removal of government documents and efforts to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election.

On Monday, the dismissed lawyers were sent letters by Acting Attorney General James McHenry, who stated that due to their significant involvement in Trump’s judicial process, they could no longer be trusted to faithfully execute the president’s agenda. The dismissals followed the receipt of these letters, according to a source within the Department of Justice.

Trump faced allegations in two major cases: one involving the removal of classified government documents and the other related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The lawyers who were dismissed had been part of the special counsel investigation led by Jack Smith, who had overseen both of these cases. It is believed that their involvement in the criminal investigations led to their removal.

Jack Smith was appointed as special counsel in 2022 and took charge of the investigations into Trump’s actions. Before Trump assumed office, he had threatened to remove Smith within “two seconds” if he became president. However, Smith had resigned before Trump took office.

Both cases led by Smith involved criminal charges against Trump, but the former president has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

After Trump’s re-election defeat in November last year, the investigations were suspended. The new administration, however, has now dismissed the lawyers involved in these ongoing cases. The specific names of the lawyers dismissed have not been immediately disclosed.