This prediction follows President Donald Trump's controversial decision to pardon individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
As reported by Mediaite, on his inaugural day in office, President Trump granted pardons to approximately 1,500 defendants and prisoners linked to the Capitol unrest, while also commuting the sentences of eight others. This move, which Trump had hinted at for some time, was executed in a publicized event from the Oval Office. Johnson shared his thoughts on this development during a conversation with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.
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Scarborough highlighted that the pardons aligned with the desires of Trump's base, who had supported him even in light of the violence against law enforcement officers during the riot. This was despite Vice President JD Vance's earlier caution against pardoning violent offenders. Scarborough inquired about the potential repercussions of these pardons, asking Johnson, "What I’m curious about Jeh Johnson, with obviously your background and extensive knowledge of law enforcement and the dealing with U.S. Attorneys, I’m wondering what the repercussions of this will be? What the impact will be for each one of those 1600 cases?"
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Johnson responded by revealing his conversations with "disenchanted" prosecutors within the Justice Department. He noted, "There’s a federal prosecutor assigned dedicated to the case who’s feeling pretty disenchanted this morning. I would not be surprised if we saw a mass resignation from the department of justice as a result of this." Scarborough acknowledged this sentiment, adding, "Yeah, that’s what some would argue."
The potential fallout from these pardons raises questions about the morale and future actions of Justice Department officials, as they grapple with the implications of the President's sweeping clemency.