On Friday, one day prior to being sworn in as Virginia’s new Attorney General, Jason Miyares (R-Va.) fired 30 employees in the Virginia Attorney General’s office.
As reported by the Daily Caller, 17 of the 30 employees who were fired were attorneys. Following the mass firing, Miyares spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita said that the new Attorney General was “restructuring the office, as every incoming AG has done in the past.” She noted that Miyares and former Attorney General Mark Herring (D-Va.), whom Miyares narrowly defeated in November, “have very different visions for the office.”
In response, Herring’s former spokeswoman Charlotte Gomer criticized the move, claiming that the fired employees were “dedicated and professional public servants who do important work, like investigate wrongful convictions, protect Virginians’ civil rights, help to ensure free and fair elections, and prevent human trafficking and opioid abuse.”
“Their absence will be a significant loss to the mission of the Office of Attorney General,” Gomer continued.
State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Va.), President Pro Tempore of the Virginia State Senate, complained about Miyares’ actions on Twitter, noting that she had recently introduced a bill to “create and expand the authority that this division uses.”
Miyares has announced further actions following his inauguration, including investigations into the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) district and the Virginia Parole Board, as well as another challenge to Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates for teachers and healthcare workers.