Patel removes senior FBI agents tied to Trump-related probes
WASHINGTON, DC: FBI Director Kash Patel has ordered another round of leadership removals across the bureau, forcing out senior agents tied to the criminal investigations of Donald Trump, according to multiple people briefed on the matter. The latest shake-up targets personnel connected to the probes into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to challenge the 2020 election, according to MS Now.
The departures span multiple regions and involve high-ranking officials. The FBI declined to comment, and the full scope of the changes has not been publicly disclosed.
Field leaders were removed across offices
Two people familiar with the matter said the special agents in charge in Atlanta and New Orleans were removed, along with the assistant director overseeing the New York field office.
Florida was hit hardest. As many as six agents in the Miami office were forced out, with the moves tied to their roles in the Mar-a-Lago search of Trump’s Florida residence, where classified records were stored. Agents connected to “Arctic Frost,” the investigation into Trump’s efforts surrounding the 2020 election, were also removed in this round.
Unprecedented turnover at independent agency
Current and former officials described the scale of the turnover as unusual for an agency long built around career civil servants and operational continuity.
The changes follow comments from Patel and his aides to a conservative outlet, in which they said they intended to remove anyone involved in authorizing payments to confidential sources linked to identifying January 6 suspects.
Timing follows Jack Smith testimony
The removals came just hours after former special counsel Jack Smith testified before Congress, where he addressed his role in indicting Trump in two cases that were dropped after Trump returned to office in 2024.
During the hearing, Smith defended his handling of the classified documents and election-related investigations. Republican lawmakers criticized him, accusing him of political bias. As the session was underway, Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into Smith.
Lawsuits filed over improper firings
The FBI Agents Association has warned that dismissing agents without evidence of misconduct violates long-standing institutional norms. The group said personnel decisions should be based on cause, not political considerations.
Several former officials have filed lawsuits challenging Patel’s actions, including Brian Driscoll, who briefly served as acting director before Patel’s confirmation. Patel has previously fired a dozen agents who knelt during a racial justice protest in Washington after George Floyd’s death. Even before Patel took office, the Justice Department under Trump had already removed most of the FBI’s senior leadership in Washington.
