By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Long-time Justice Department immigration attorney James McHenry will serve as acting U.S. attorney general until President Donald Trump's pick, Pam Bondi, can be confirmed by the Senate,

EXCLUSIVE: The Justice Department is firing more than a dozen key officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team to prosecute President Trump, Fox News Digital has learned.

The Justice Department has fired more than a dozen lawyers, involved in criminal investigations into Donald Trump during his campaign for president, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN,

The officials were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry concluded they "could not be trusted to faithfully implement the President’s agenda."

Top House Democrats say that the way in which Jack Smith's staffers were fired "very likely violated longstanding federal laws."

In termination letters sent to more than a dozen officials, acting Attorney General James McHenry wrote that he did not believe they "could be trusted to faithfully implement the President's agenda."

More than a dozen officials who worked on the criminal investigations into Donald Trump have been fired, according to sources familiar with the matter.

About a dozen Justice Department employees who worked for former special counsel Jack Smith on his investigation of Donald Trump are being fired.

The Trump administration dismissed over a dozen Justice Department lawyers involved in criminal cases against Donald Trump. Acting Attorney General James McHenry justified the firings, citing their roles in prosecuting Trump.

The lawyers were part of former special counsel Jack Smith's team which brought two cases against the president.

In response to questions about whether he intended to target specific individuals, such as former FBI director Christopher Wray, for investigation, Patel said he had no intention of going backward.