The Trump administration is launching a significant purge of career law enforcement officials at the FBI, with dozens of agents involved in investigations related to the January 6 Capitol attack and Trump himself facing potential dismissal.
The Trump administration is poised to launch a sweeping removal of career law enforcement officials. Dozens of FBI agents who participated in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack and probes into former President Donald Trump , as well as some supervisory personnel, are facing potential termination by the end of this week, according to those privy to the situation.
These developments underscore the new administration's swift action to fulfill Trump's pledge to retaliate against the Justice Department and FBI, which he asserts have been unfairly weaponized against him. Trump has repeatedly made false accusations, alleging abuse by agents during the court-authorized search of his Mar-a-Lago residence and mistreatment of Capitol rioters. Interim leaders within the Justice Department have spent the past week compiling lists of individuals whose work at the bureau has incurred Trump's displeasure for various reasons. Agents and analysts have been warned by FBI leadership that they may be compelled to resign or face dismissal. Agents who worked on the investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and those who pursued the approximately 1,600 individuals charged or convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack have expressed concerns about potential retribution for carrying out their assigned duties. The Justice Department and FBI have declined to comment. The Trump-led purge at the DOJ's headquarters commenced last week, within minutes of the new interim leaders taking their oaths. Several senior career lawyers were notified that they were being reassigned to a task force focused on immigration-related issues and so-called sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that generally refrain from assisting federal deportation efforts. This reassignment is widely perceived as an attempt to force out senior career officials, some of whom have subsequently resigned. Emails sent by James McHenry, the acting attorney general, to those being removed from their positions have included language stating: “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.” At the FBI, at least six senior FBI leaders have been instructed to retire, resign, or be fired by Monday, sources familiar with the matter have informed CNN. Some agents argue that Trump and other critics misinterpret their role, as FBI agents and supervisors are unable to choose which assignments they receive as part of their job. The FBI workforce is generally conservative and until recently was led for years by lifelong Republican Christopher Wray. The nomination of Kash Patel, Trump's chosen candidate to lead the FBI, is pending in the Senate. Many agents initially had reservations about being assigned to the Capitol attack and Trump cases, viewing the prosecutions as excessively aggressive, according to individuals close to the matter. Some Justice Department lawyers involved in January 6 cases have complained that they believe agents sometimes delayed their work. “If true, these outrageous actions by acting officials are fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump and his support for FBI Agents,” the FBI Agents Association stated in a release. “Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure.” Shortly after Trump assumed office, Tom Ferguson, a former agent and aide to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, arrived at the FBI headquarters as a policy adviser. Jordan has been a vocal critic of the FBI and led a subcommittee on the alleged weaponization of government agencies, including the FBI. FBI Agents Association officials met with Patel in recent weeks to voice concerns about potential firings of agents, urging him to safeguard agents who diligently carried out investigations into violent crimes under the supervision of judges, FBI supervisors, and Justice Department lawyers, according to individuals briefed on the meeting. “During our meeting, he said that agents would be afforded appropriate process and review and not face retribution based solely on the cases to which they were assigned,” the agents association stated in a release. During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday regarding his nomination, Patel stated that he is unaware of any forthcoming 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 Sen. Cory Booker. “I am not aware of that, senator,” Patel responded.
TRUMP FBI JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPITOL ATTACK PERSONNEL PURGE POLITICAL RETRIBUTION
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