On Friday, Ed Martin, the interim head of the federal prosecutor’s office in Washington, fired around 30 government attorneys who had been hired to work on January 6 cases.

In an email on Friday announcing the dismissals — one of a string of missives at all hours sent in the early days of the administration — Martin cited an attached memo from acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove offering up a legal justification for the firings.

Martin highlighted language in the memo that widened a Trump administration investigation into January 6 charges to include how the January 6 prosecutors were hired and instructed employees of the Justice Department office to hang onto potential evidence.

“Finally, the circumstances of the conversions are the subject of an ongoing inquiry at the Justice Department including pursuant to President Trump’s January 20, 2025 Executive Order entitled, ‘Ending The Weaponization Of The Federal Government,’” said the section of Bove’s memo cited by Martin. “Please take all steps necessary to preserve all records, including documents, emails, text messages, and other electronic communications, relating to the conversions and other personnel decisions regarding attorneys hired to support casework relating to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

The firings may appear to be the culmination of a yearslong effort by Martin, a “Stop the Steal” organizer, to advocate for the January 6 defendants. In addition to calling for charges to be dropped, Martin helped lead a group that fundraised for the defendants. (Martin did not respond to mulitple requests for comment.)