The U.S. Department of Justice, under leadership appointed by the Trump administration, has requested information about potentially thousands of FBI employees involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and a Hamas-related case from last year in New York. According to an email sent to the FBI workforce, the requested information is due by Tuesday afternoon. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove will conduct a review to determine if any “personnel actions” are necessary.
The investigation, led by the FBI, is focused on those who supported the January 6 probe and the Hamas-related case. Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll emphasized that many FBI employees, including himself and the acting Deputy Director, are part of this effort. The exact reasons behind the investigation into the Hamas case remain unclear.
The email from Driscoll also mentioned that eight senior FBI executives are set to be terminated as directed by Bove. Reports indicated that the Trump administration is compiling a list of FBI agents and officials believed to be subject to firing or resignation, with some field office heads and agents from the Washington, D.C., field office potentially affected. Firings were anticipated to begin immediately, with the final list expected by Monday.
The FBI declined to comment on personnel matters, and its public affairs officers were instructed to avoid discussing the issue. The FBI Agents Association criticized the potential mass firings, arguing that it would undermine the Bureau’s ability to protect the nation from threats and contradict statements made by Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel. Patel had previously pledged to protect FBI agents from political retribution.
In related actions, approximately 40 prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, who had worked on January 6 cases, were dismissed. President Trump responded positively to potential firings, claiming that the Justice Department had been misused to target political opponents.
