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Several FBI agents involved in the investigations that resulted in the now-dropped criminal charges against President Donald Trump are reportedly facing dismissal as part of a broader shake-up within the nation’s top law enforcement agency. According to US media reports on Friday, the anticipated purge is expected to reshape the Bureau’s leadership and operational structure.
CNN has reported that dozens of FBI agents, along with several supervisors involved in investigating the January 6 Capitol riot, are currently being evaluated for potential removal. The move reflects ongoing efforts to reshape the Bureau in the aftermath of the controversial probe into the actions of Trump supporters during the insurrection.
Citing sources familiar with the plan, The Washington Post reported that officials are working to identify as many as hundreds of FBI agents for potential termination. The purge is not limited to the FBI; roughly 30 federal prosecutors involved in Capitol riot investigations and still on probation have been dismissed as part of the broader restructuring effort.
The Justice Department took action on Monday, firing multiple officials who had been part of the legal efforts against Trump. A department official indicated that these terminations were based on the acting attorney general’s assessment that these individuals were not suited to uphold the president’s agenda with the required fidelity.
In a sweeping move, NBC News reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has dismissed the heads of more than 20 field offices, including critical positions in Washington and Miami. According to CNN, at least six senior FBI officials have been given an ultimatum to “retire, resign, or face dismissal” by Monday, reflecting a broader effort to reshape the Bureau’s leadership.
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The Post said the FBI’s acting director, Brian Driscoll, a veteran agent who was appointed by Trump to run the bureau until his nominee as director is confirmed by the Senate, had refused to approve the mass firings.
Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, strongly condemned the dismissals at the FBI and Justice Department.
“The Trump Administration’s purge of dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in investigating Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters is a major blow to the FBI and Justice Department’s integrity and effectiveness,” Durbin said.
“This is a brazen assault on the rule of law that also severely undermines our national security and public safety,” he said. “Unelected Trump lackeys are carrying out widespread political retribution against our nation’s career law enforcement officials.”
The FBI Agents Association, a non-profit group that advocates for FBI employees, said if the reports of widespread dismissals are true the actions are “fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump and his support for FBI Agents.