A large-scale purge is underway at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), targeting agents involved in past investigations of former President Donald Trump, according to multiple U.S. media reports.
The dismissals are expected to affect dozens of FBI agents and supervisors who worked on cases related to Trump, including the now-abandoned criminal charges against him and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot investigations.
According to CNN, FBI agents who investigated Trump and his supporters are now “being evaluated for possible removal.” The Washington Post also reported that officials are identifying “potentially hundreds” of agents for dismissal.
The Justice Department has already fired about 30 federal prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases and were still on probationary status. Additionally, more than 20 FBI field office heads—including those in Miami and Washington —are set to be removed, according to NBC News.
A Justice Department official justified the move, saying that the acting attorney general did not believe these officials “could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda.”
Brian Driscoll, the FBI’s acting director appointed by Trump, has refused to approve the widespread dismissals, according to The Washington Post. However, CNN reports that at least six senior FBI leaders have been given an ultimatum to “retire, resign, or be fired by Monday.”
The mass firings have sparked outrage, with Senator Dick Durbin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemning them as an attack on democracy.
“The Trump administration’s purge of DOJ and FBI officials involved in investigating Trump and the January 6 rioters is a major blow to the integrity of our justice system,” Durbin said in a statement.
“This is a brazen assault on the rule of law that undermines national security and public safety,” he added.
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The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), a nonprofit organization representing FBI employees, also expressed concern over the firings.
“If these reports are true, the mass dismissals would significantly weaken the FBI’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats,” the FBIAA said.
“Firing potentially hundreds of agents could set up the FBI and its new leadership for failure,” the statement warned.
The firings come just days after Trump’s return to the White House, where he has already begun reshaping the Justice Department and federal law enforcement.
On his first day in office, Trump pardoned over 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
Following Trump’s re-election, FBI Director Christopher Wray resigned, paving the way for Trump to appoint Kash Patel, a former advisor and loyal supporter, as the new head of the FBI.
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Patel was asked whether the FBI was targeting agents involved in Trump’s past investigations.
“I am not aware of that,” Patel responded.
However, he assured lawmakers that “all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.”
With the mass dismissals and restructuring of the FBI, Trump’s return to power has already begun to reshape the U.S. justice system. The fate of federal investigations and law enforcement integrity remains uncertain as the nation watches closely.