At least six senior FBI officials have been instructed to retire, resign, or face termination by Monday, marking the continuation of a purge that began last week at the Justice Department, located near the FBI headquarters. The officials affected hold high-level positions, including executive assistant directors and special agents in charge, overseeing areas like cyber, national security, and criminal investigations. Some were informed while Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, was testifying before senators during his confirmation hearing.
In recent months, Trump’s transition team has indicated a plan to remove leaders who were appointed under former FBI Director Christopher Wray. These leadership changes have caused frustration within the agency, particularly since the officials being targeted had no involvement in the prosecution of Donald Trump—an issue that has drawn the president’s criticism.
The personnel shakeup also comes as hundreds of FBI agents who worked on investigations into the January 6 Capitol attack and Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents are worried they may face removal or punishment, similar to what has already occurred with numerous career Justice Department lawyers.
These changes highlight the new administration’s swift action to fulfill Trump’s vow to retaliate against what he has described as the “weaponization” of the FBI. Trump has falsely accused FBI agents of misconduct during their court-ordered search of his Mar-a-Lago residence and in their handling of Capitol riot investigations.
Some agents argue that the criticism is unfounded, pointing out that FBI personnel do not have control over their assignments. Although the FBI workforce is generally conservative, many agents initially had reservations about working on cases related to the Capitol attack and Trump, viewing the investigations as overly aggressive. Some Justice Department lawyers handling the January 6 cases also expressed frustration, feeling that certain agents were deliberately slowing down their work.
The FBI has declined to comment on the situation.
Officials from the FBI Agents Association recently met with Kash Patel, the nominee to be FBI director, to voice concerns about the treatment of agents involved in investigations into violent crimes. They urged him to protect those agents, who followed proper procedures with oversight from judges, FBI supervisors, and Justice Department lawyers. According to sources familiar with the meeting, Patel listened but did not offer any assurances in response.
During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Thursday, Patel was asked by Democratic Senator Cory Booker whether he was aware of any plans to punish or terminate FBI agents or personnel associated with investigations into Trump. Patel replied that he was not aware of any such plans.
Patel also addressed accusations from Democrats who suggested that he might seek to take retribution against political adversaries, something he had hinted at in previous media interviews. He denied these claims, stating his intention to ensure the FBI is “de-weaponized.” In response to a question from Senator Richard Blumenthal, Patel assured the committee that every FBI employee would be held to the same standard and that no one would be fired because of their case assignments.
Senator Amy Klobuchar also pressed Patel on his responses, questioning his ability to provide clear answers.
Agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago search as part of the investigation into Trump’s mishandling of classified documents have already faced threats after their identities were publicly shared by Trump supporters on social media, according to the Justice Department.
The anxiety within the FBI is partly driven by moves that began before Trump’s inauguration. Paul Abbate, who was serving as acting FBI director at the time, retired on Inauguration Day, a day that posed significant national security risks. Following his departure, the Trump transition team appointed two senior agents from Newark and New York City to take over as acting director and deputy director. Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump, resigned nearly three years before his term was supposed to end after Trump vowed to remove him.
Soon after Trump took office, Tom Ferguson, a former FBI agent and aide to Representative Jim Jordan, joined the FBI as a policy adviser. Jordan has been a vocal critic of the FBI and led a subcommittee focused on allegations of government agencies, including the FBI, being weaponized for political purposes.