Prosecutor who handled high-profile Capitol riot cases sues government over his firing

Source: The Independent

Thursday 24 July 2025 21:29 EDT


Michael Gordon prosecuted some of the most notorious members of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His latest case to make is proving that the Justice Department fired him because he was good at his job.

Gordon sued the federal government Thursday, claiming his June 27 termination was politically motivated retribution for his work on prosecuting Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol. He and two other former Justice Department officials are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the department, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Executive Office of the President.

Dozens of Justice Department attorneys have been fired, demoted or forced out or have quit since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. Gordon and the other plaintiffs — Patricia Hartman and Joseph Tirrell — appear to be the first of them to file a lawsuit. Hartman was a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia. Tirrell led the department's ethics office.

Gordon, 47, said he received a performance review two days before his firing and got the highest rating. His one-page termination letter, signed by Bondi, didn’t specify any reasons for his dismissal. Gordon, who joined the department in 2017, said he is proud to have played a part in the largest investigation in Justice Department history. “We did what was right for the right reasons, without fear or favor,” Gordon told The Associated Press this week. “I didn’t lose my job for breaking the law. I lost it for enforcing it.” A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/ray-epps-pam-bondi-justice-department-white-house-district-of-columbia-b2795683.html