WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Monday that it had fired more than a dozen employees who worked on Jack Smith’s criminal prosecutions of President Trump, moving rapidly to pursue retribution against lawyers involved in the investigations and signaling an early willingness to take action favorable to the president’s personal interests.

The Trump Justice Department says it has fired more than a dozen employees who worked on criminal investigations into President Donald Trump.

The move breaks with federal norms against punishing civil servants for actions taken under a different administration.