The Federal Bureau of Investigation terminated at least ten employees on Wednesday who were previously assigned to the probe into President Trump’s handling of classified materials.
Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to multiple media outlets that all the affected employees had played roles in the investigation led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith.
These firings follow a Reuters report detailing claims that the FBI had obtained phone records belonging to current FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The subpoenas for these records were reportedly issued while both individuals were still private citizens.
The Reuters report cited allegations from Patel, who claimed the agency used “flimsy pretexts” to gather the data and intentionally hid the process within restricted files to bypass standard oversight procedures. Reuters noted in its coverage that it had not independently verified the specifics of Patel’s allegations regarding the subpoena process.
The investigation in question was one of two federal probes managed by Jack Smith involving the president.
While one inquiry examined efforts to contest the 2020 election results, this specific group of agents worked on a case focused on the retention of sensitive documents at Mar-a-Lago and subsequent interactions with the Justice Department.
The FBI Agents Association blasted the move in a statement, saying, “The FBIAA condemns today’s unlawful termination of FBI Special Agents, which, like other firings by Director Patel, violates the due process rights of those who risk their lives to protect our country,” the association said. “These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau’s ability to meet its recruitment goals—ultimately putting the nation at greater risk.”
Department officials have not yet provided an official statement regarding the specific cause for the terminations or whether further personnel actions are expected.
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