'Outrageous': Fired federal prosecutor details 'devastating effects' of workplace cuts

Gary Restaino, who was fired this week from his role as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, expressed concern over his workplace cuts in an interview with the Arizona Republic published Friday.

Appointed by Biden in 2021, Restaino dealt with fentanyl fatalities, threats against election workers and immigration. He was fired Tuesday. He was not the only top federal prosecutor to be fired. He said he expected the termination because turnover is common from one administration to the next.

When the Arizona Republic’s Jimmy Jenkins asked him about the biggest threat to the safety of people in Arizona, Restaino said he is worried about losing personnel in the federal government.

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“We can't get the job done without having people in the positions, and we can't get the job done well if the people that have been in the positions are forced out. Institutional knowledge is good, and government is good,” he said.

“Just at the U.S. Attorney's Office, we've got about 36 employees still on probation, and the (Trump) administration is talking about potentially trying to fire all of them, and that would just be outrageous, and I certainly hope that those people can get some finality in knowledge that they will be able to stay in the office,” he said. “We're talking about one-tenth of our workforce that is on a probationary status, and that would have devastating effects, in my opinion. There's another class of workers — we had to rescind offers to about six personnel, again because of this DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) desire to cut the workforce. And that, to me, is outrageous.”

“Do you think President Trump's pardons of the January 6 Capitol attackers could embolden people to make more of these threats?” Jenkins asked.

“I do think that's a concern,” he said. “These people are not reacting as people who are pardoned normally do. Normally, people who are pardoned are contrite and looking forward to a second chance, not emboldened.”

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Restaino worked with underserved communities, including the Hispanic community.

“I just had forgotten, over the years, the fear that that community has, that if they report a crime as a victim, they will be turned over to immigration authorities. There was a great disconnect between the community and law enforcement on that issue, and I think that's an important reminder for us as we head into 2025,” he said.

He added that the biggest challenge to immigration enforcement is rhetoric.

“Simply put, undocumented aliens commit crimes at a far lower rate than United States citizens. All the data backs that up, and yet, somehow, Americans and Arizonans have this idea that undocumented aliens are here for malice rather than for the American Dream. So putting that into practice, our challenge is focusing and prioritizing on those who are criminal aliens or are adjacent to danger,” he said.

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