Prosecutors Pushed Out After Refusing to Bow to Trump Pressure
Source: Daily Beast
Updated Oct. 15 2025 4:49AM EDT
Published Oct. 15 2025 4:40AM EDT
Two prosecutors have been forced out over disagreements into how to handle the Trump administrations response to an earlier FBI investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election.
Todd Gilbert, U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Virginia, resigned in August, in part after refusing to fire Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Lee. Lee, himself, has now stepped down from his role as acting U.S. attorney.
Trump has pressured U.S. attorneys to follow through on prosecutions and investigations of political enemies. The resignations come amid disagreements over whether to open a grand jury investigation into the FBIs handling of the Russia investigation, particularly to examine whether anybody at the bureau had mishandled classified documents.
President Donald Trump has long considered the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to be indicative of a witch hunt against him.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/prosecutors-pushed-out-after-refusing-to-bow-to-trump-pressure/