The purge at the FBI continues, with at least five senior leaders being demoted or reassigned. This follows a wave of similar actions at the Justice Department last week. Sources say these demotions target individuals overseeing cyber, national security, and criminal investigations, raising concerns within the agency. This comes as hundreds of agents involved in investigations into the January 6th Capitol attack and Trump’s handling of classified documents face potential punishment. The move reflects President Trump’s vow to retaliate against what he perceives as FBI ‘weaponization.’
At least five senior FBI leaders promoted by former Director Christopher Wray have been notified of demotions or reassignments, according to sources familiar with the matter, extending a purge that began last week at the Justice Department . The senior officials, at the executive assistant director level, oversee areas such as cyber, national security, and criminal investigations, sources told CNN.
These leadership changes have sparked internal concern, partly because these officials were not involved in the prosecutions of Donald Trump, which have been the target of the president's ire. The personnel moves coincide with hundreds of FBI agents assigned to investigate the January 6th US Capitol attack and Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents bracing for potential forced removal or punishment, similar to what has happened to dozens of career Justice Department lawyers. The changes illustrate how the new administration has swiftly acted on President Donald Trump's pledge to retaliate against what he calls the FBI's 'weaponization.' Trump has falsely accused agents of abuse during the court-ordered search of his Mar-a-Lago residence and of mistreating Capitol rioters. Some agents argue that this criticism ignores the fact that FBI agents and supervisors cannot choose their assignments, which are part of their job. The FBI workforce is largely conservative, and many agents initially expressed reservations about being assigned to the Capitol attack and Trump cases, viewing the prosecutions as excessive, according to individuals familiar with the matter. Some Justice Department lawyers leading January 6th cases have complained that they believe agents sometimes delayed some of their work. The FBI declined to comment. Officials from the FBI Agents Association met with FBI director nominee Kash Patel in recent weeks to voice these concerns, urging him to protect agents who carried out their work investigating violent crimes under the oversight of judges, FBI supervisors, and Justice Department lawyers, according to people briefed on the meeting. Patel listened but offered no reassurances, these individuals said. During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday regarding his nomination, Patel stated that he is unaware of any upcoming personnel plans. 'Are you aware of any plans or discussions to punish in any way, including termination, FBI agents or personnel associated with Trump investigations?' asked Democratic Senator Cory Booker. 'I am not aware of that, senator,' Patel replied. Patel, at his hearing, refuted accusations from Democrats that he would seek revenge against political adversaries, as he has suggested in media appearances in recent years. He stated he would ensure the FBI is 'de-weaponized.' 'Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for case assignments,' he said in response to a question by Senator Richard Blumenthal. Agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago search in the Trump classified documents case have already faced threats after their names were publicly disclosed by Trump supporters on social media, the Justice Department has said. Anxiety within the FBI is heightened by some early moves within the bureau that began even before Trump's inauguration. Paul Abbate, the deputy FBI director serving as acting director at the time, resigned on Inauguration Day, a day of heightened national security vulnerabilities, after the Trump transition team appointed two senior agents from Newark and New York City to assume the roles of acting director and deputy director. Wray, appointed by Trump, resigned nearly three years before the end of his term after Trump vowed to fire him. Shortly after Trump took office, Tom Ferguson, a former agent and aide to Representative Jim Jordan, arrived at the FBI headquarters as a policy advisor. Jordan has been a staunch critic of the FBI and led a subcommittee on the alleged weaponization of government agencies, including the FBI.
FBI Justice Department Donald Trump Weaponization Purges Investigations Leadership Agents Kash Patel January 6Th
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