The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has dismissed four agents who investigated President Donald Trump over alleged refusal to accept the 2020 election results. Observers say unrest is deepening within the agency as confusion grows, including personnel whose firings were previously rescinded being dismissed again.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 4th (local time), the dismissals were reportedly ordered directly by FBI Director General Kash Patel. Director General Patel first dismissed the agents on the 3rd, the previous day, but rescinded the firings the same day after fierce pushback from some senior officials, including U.S. Attorney Jeannie Rhee of the Washington, D.C., federal prosecutor's office.
Director General Patel then re-executed the dismissals the next morning, during which Rhee reportedly asked to keep some of the agents on the job, saying they were handling important cases, but the request was ultimately rejected. According to a source familiar with the matter, some of those dismissed were supervisory-level agents at the Washington headquarters who had participated in investigations related to President Trump since the previous Biden administration.
Recently, the FBI has been mired in confusion due to a series of abrupt personnel moves. Last week, two agents who took part in the 2020 election investigation were also dismissed, and an agent who oversaw FBI aircraft operations was forced to step down. In particular, the firing of the aircraft oversight agent stirred controversy because it came right after media criticism that Director General Patel had privately misused a dedicated plane.
Inside the agency, personnel actions by Director General Patel are being regarded as retaliatory, with calls for correction. The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), a nonprofit that safeguards the rights of FBI agents, said in a statement, "An agent should not be dismissed for conducting an investigation properly in accordance with legal procedures," and noted, "Director General Patel's decision is an irrational measure made in disregard of internal procedures and policies."
The political arena is also embroiled in heated debate over the situation. Senate Republicans claimed last month that Special Counsel Jack Smith improperly obtained the call records of nine Republican senators during his probe into Trump's alleged election interference. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, a Republican, posted related subpoenas and investigative documents online, during which the real names of some of the dismissed FBI agents were revealed, making the internal turmoil visible.
Kash Patel is a former federal prosecutor and is considered one of President Trump's closest aides. During Trump's first term, he served on the National Security Council and at the Department of Defense, and he was chief of staff to the Minister of the Ministry of National Defense. Previously, he faced allegations in 2023 that he compiled a "political enemies list" of about 60 figures, including Democratic officials and anti-Trump Republicans, but he strongly denied it.