Law Professor Spots 1 Trump Move That Could Be ‘Very Destructive’

New York University law Professor Ryan Goodman on Friday sounded the alarm on Donald Trump’s reported plan to fire people who worked with special counsel Jack Smith in pursuing federal prosecutions against him.

Goodman, in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, called the reported plan “extraordinary on so many levels,” and said that the firings would affect “civil servants who have legal protections” ― including people who were simply working with Smith’s team because they were assigned to do so.

“To fire those people categorically who have protections… also means that it would probably be illegal firings,” he added.

“A huge part of the Justice Department and Pam Bondi will be caught up in a huge amount of employment litigation over all of their claims, were they to go down that path,” Goodman predicted, referring to the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has nominated to lead the US Department of Justice. “So it’s just very destructive. It smacks of political retribution.”

Goodman said the fact that Trump’s alleged plan is already being reported on, before there is “any kind of investigation” into members of Smith’s team, would give any people who are fired “very strong legal claims.”

His remarks arrive after a source told The Washington Post that Trump intends to “clean out ‘the bad guys, the people who went after me’” from the Justice Department.

The plan would be in line with Trump’s repeated threats to prosecute or punish his perceived enemies since 2022.

Smith is reportedly looking to wind down the federal prosecutions against Trump, and is reportedly expected to step down from his post before the president-elect takes office and potentially fires him.

A source told the Post that Trump also plans to use the DOJ to investigate the 2020 election, which he has falsely claimed was “rigged” and “stolen.”

Trump nominated Bondi, a longtime ally, for the role of attorney general after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew his own nomination for the job.

H/T Mediaite

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