Lawsuit from ex-federal prosecutor details how a MAGA influencer’s social media post led to his Rosh Hashanah firing

(CNN) — A former federal prosecutor sued the Justice Department alleging he was unlawfully fired hours after an online commentator surfaced a nearly decade-old blog post he authored that was critical of President Donald Trump.

Will Rosenzweig, who worked as an assistant US attorney in the Southern District of Florida for five years, filed the lawsuit Friday as Todd Blanche, who is a named defendant in the lawsuit, appeared to overcome hurdles in the way of his confirmation as Trump’s next Attorney General.

Rosenzweig was fired in September during Rosh Hashanah, two weeks before jury selection was scheduled to begin in a complex Medicare fraud case he was heavily involved in.

“DOJ’s removal of Mr. Rosenzweig as a perceived political enemy of the incumbent political party was neither isolated nor inadvertent, but rather part of a wider campaign to conduct political firings,” the lawsuit alleges. Rosenzweig is asking for his job back in addition to backpay and damages.

CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

The lawsuit is one of several that have been brought by prosecutors and former FBI agents who allege they were fired for political reasons. Former prosecutor Maurene Comey is suing DOJ alleging she was fired because her father is former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump has sparred with. That case is ongoing. Rosenzweig is represented by one of Comey’s attorneys.

In September 2025, right-wing commentator Natalie Winters posted on social media a photo of Rosenzweig’s LinkedIn account and wrote he “secretly ran anti-Trump blog for YEARS attacking Trump.” The post went on to say, “Now he’s using government power to wage LAWFARE against MAGA patriots.” She tagged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi and wrote, “Fire him,” according to the lawsuit. The post has since been deleted.

Rosenzweig says less than three hours later, he was fired by email. The memorandum informing him of his termination was signed by Bondi, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges the Medicare case against three defendants Marcelo Kochen, Michael Kochen and Sandro Herek, was under the radar and questions how Winters would have become aware of it.

CNN has attempted to reach Winters for comment.

“His sudden firing benefited the Kochen defendants because it disrupted the government’s case against them, “ the lawsuit alleges. Michael Kochen and Herek were later convicted and sentenced. Marcelo Kochen’s case is pending.

A supervisor informed Rosenzweig that Blanche and the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida discussed his past blog posts, the lawsuit alleges. The US attorney never asked Rosenzweig about the posts, according to the lawsuit.

Rosenzweig started the blog in January 2016 before Trump was the Republican Party nominee to comment on a range of topics from politics to college basketball to travel, according to the lawsuit. By January 2019, it was “effectively defunct.”

His lawyers argued his past statements before he worked for DOJ are protected by the First Amendment and fall within DOJ policies.

“In retaliating against him, DOJ has violated its own stated policies on political speech by targeting speech it does not agree with made by a citizen years before federal employment,” his lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.

Rosenzweig’s dismissal was made public by Trump supporter Laura Loomer on X several hours after he found out he was fired, according to a post cited in the lawsuit.

An hour later, Winters allegedly took credit for the firing, writing on X, “Got this guy fired” with a sunglass wearing smiling emoji, according to the lawsuit.