Trump Fires U.S. Attorney Amid Pressure Over Political Cases

In a surprising move, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he had fired Erik Siebert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, amid reports of political pressure surrounding investigations into two of Trump’s prominent adversaries.

Siebert, who oversees a team of roughly 300 prosecutors in a key federal jurisdiction, had informed staff of his resignation via email on Friday, according to multiple U.S. media outlets. The resignation followed his decision not to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey, fired by Trump in 2017, or New York Attorney General Letitia James, citing insufficient evidence in both cases, officials told the Washington Post.

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Trump defended his decision publicly on his platform, Truth Social, writing, “He didn’t quit, I fired him!” He added that Siebert had received “UNUSUALLY STRONG support” from two Democratic senators in Virginia, whom he described as “terrible, sleazebag.” In the Oval Office earlier, Trump told reporters, “I want him out.”

The cases at the center of the controversy are politically sensitive. Comey, a vocal critic of Trump, had been leading investigations into alleged collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. Meanwhile, AG James filed a $464 million lawsuit against Trump, alleging fraudulent inflation of property values to secure favorable loans and insurance terms. Trump ally Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has accused James of falsifying mortgage documents, though Trump himself admitted uncertainty, saying Friday, “It looks to me like she’s really guilty of something, but I really don’t know.”

Siebert, a Virginia Military Institute graduate and former Washington police officer, had previously been considered for nomination as a permanent U.S. Attorney but faced internal debate within the Justice Department over whether he should remain in his post. Some administration officials reportedly favored retaining him despite external pressures.

Legal experts note that firing a U.S. Attorney in the midst of politically charged investigations raises questions about prosecutorial independence and the influence of political considerations on the justice system. An official statement from the Justice Department did not comment on Trump’s reasoning but confirmed Siebert’s departure.