Fired without warning, three Justice Department employees are taking a stand against the Trump administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Gordon, Patricia Hartman, and Joseph Tirrell claim their abrupt terminations were retaliation for their work on Jan. 6 Capitol attack cases. Their lawsuit, filed in late June 2025, alleges a violation of due process and points to a broken Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), as NBC News reports.
Gordon, Hartman, and Tirrell were dismissed without explanation, a move they tie to their roles in prosecuting Jan. 6 defendants. The Trump administration has reportedly axed around 200 Justice Department employees, many linked to the Capitol protest cases or Jack Smith’s investigations of Donald Trump. This purge raises eyebrows about political score-settling masquerading as reform.
On a Friday in June, Gordon was interviewing a victim via Zoom in Tampa, Florida, for a fraud case when his office manager handed him a termination letter. Signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, the letter offered no reason for his dismissal. For a prosecutor with an “outstanding” performance review just days prior, this smells more like a vendetta than a personnel decision.
Gordon, a senior trial counsel in the Capitol Siege Section, had been tackling high-profile Jan. 6 cases. “No explanation. No advance warning,” Gordon said of his firing, suspecting his Jan. 6 work was the trigger. Such sudden ousters suggest a calculated move to sideline those who dared challenge the narrative.
Hartman, the top spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C., managed media for the massive Jan. 6 investigation, involving over 1,500 defendants. “I was never given an explanation,” she said, noting her consistently stellar reviews. Her claim of “psychological terrorism” might sound dramatic, but the pattern of firings fuels distrust among federal workers.
Tirrell, a 19-year FBI and Navy veteran, led the Departmental Ethics Office before his dismissal. The Trump administration’s mass pardon of Jan. 6 defendants only deepens suspicions these firings were politically motivated. Targeting seasoned professionals like Tirrell reeks of an agenda to dismantle institutional expertise.
The trio’s lawsuit, filed with heavyweight attorneys like Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, accuses the administration of crippling the MSPB. The board, meant to resolve employee disputes, lacks a quorum after the firing of member Cathy Harris. A federal court ordered Harris reinstated, but the Supreme Court’s stay keeps the MSPB in limbo, leaving employees like Gordon without recourse.
Gordon was no rookie, starting as a federal prosecutor in 2017 and volunteering for Jan. 6 cases. He was fired the same day as two other Jan. 6 prosecutors, a coincidence too glaring to ignore. The administration’s demand for a list of employees tied to Jan. 6 and Jack Smith’s probes only tightens the noose of suspicion.
“The way these employees have been terminated seems like a clear violation of the Civil Service Protection Act,” said Stacy Young, a former Justice Department employee. Her talk of “psychological warfare” among staff paints a grim picture of morale. Yet, the administration’s defenders might argue that it is cleaning house to restore trust in a politicized DOJ.
Young’s claim that employees “wake up terrified” underscores a department under siege. Firings without cause don’t just disrupt lives; they erode faith in the system. The notion of a “deep state” purge might thrill some, but it risks gutting the DOJ’s talent pool.
Gordon’s work wasn’t limited to Jan. 6; he was tackling a $100 million fraud case against a medical trust in Florida. “Mike really stood out as a leader,” said Jason Manning, a former prosecutor, praising Gordon’s role in high-stakes cases. Losing such talent to political grudges is a self-inflicted wound for justice.
“The people who volunteered for that detail are some of the best, smartest lawyers,” Gordon said of his Jan. 6 colleagues. His point cuts through the haze: these firings aren’t draining a swamp but torching a forest of expertise. The administration’s actions seem less about reform and more about settling old scores.
The lawsuit’s claim that the MSPB is dysfunctional points to a broader strategy to neuter oversight. Without a functioning board, federal employees face a system stacked against them. This isn’t streamlining; it’s a power grab dressed up as bureaucracy.
The Trump administration’s blanket pardons for Jan. 6 defendants add fuel to the fire. Critics see a pattern, namely, the pardoning of allies and the punishment of prosecutors. Such moves might rally the base but risk alienating career public servants who keep the system running.
“They are firing some of the most talented people they have,” Gordon warned. His words ring true as the DOJ bleeds experience. For an administration claiming to champion law and order, undermining its prosecutors is a curious way to show it.
