Dozens of FBI agents and supervisors involved in now-dropped criminal investigations into President Donald Trump are facing termination, suggest reports on Friday (Jan 31).
Quoting sources, US media publications, including CNN and NBC News, indicated that a sweeping purge is targeting senior FBI officials and field office heads.
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‘Retire, resign or be fired’
According to a CNN report citing unnamed sources, FBI agents who investigated the US Capitol riot — also known as the Jan 6 riots when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s election win — are “being evaluated for possible removal as soon as the end of Friday”.
The report adds that six senior FBI leaders have been ordered to “retire, resign, or be fired by Monday.”
Meanwhile, NBC reported that over 20 FBI field office heads, including those in Washington and Miami, are under review for dismissal.
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The Washington Post suggested that “potentially hundreds” of FBI agents could face removal as officials evaluate their roles in investigations tied to Trump and his supporters. “Officials are working to identify potentially hundreds (of FBI agents) for possible termination,” in reported.
The FBI’s acting director, Brian Driscoll, appointed by Trump after his re-election, has, however, reportedly refused to approve the mass firings.
Trump’s retribution?
The potential FBI firings come after the Justice Department, earlier this week, dismissed several officials linked to Trump-related prosecutions. A department spokesperson stated that the decision stemmed from the attorney general’s concerns that these individuals “could be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda.”
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Kash Patel, Trump’s former advisor and now his nominee to lead the FBI, during his confirmation hearing on Thursday (Jan 31) assured the Senate Judiciary Committee that “all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.” However, reports of widespread terminations persist.
Patel, when asked about plans to punish FBI agents involved in the Trump investigations denied knowledge and said “I am not aware of that.”
(With inputs from agencies)