U.S. Justice Department, FBI prepare for possible punishment after Trump's election

After U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's presidential victory, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI have reached out to their lawyers to prepare for possible retaliatory criminal penalties.

NBC said Trump, who faced criminal prosecution during the Biden administration, vowed retaliation and nominated former Congressman Matt Gates, his closest ally, as the nominee for justice secretary, heightened the sense of crisis within the organization.

"Everything we did was fair, but the world has changed," said a former senior FBI official, preparing for a prolonged legal dispute and congressional investigation in anticipation of criminal prosecution since Trump took office.

Trump and U.S. Republican Senator Markwayne Mullen have argued that all criminal investigations against Trump during this year's presidential election were political and that the Justice Department and FBI officials involved in them deserve to be prosecuted.

Justice Department and FBI officials claim the investigation into Trump was done justly, but are perplexed that many Americans still believe Trump's claim that the Justice Department is a "hotbed of corruption."