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The Trump administration is in the process of identifying FBI agents and officials across the country for potential dismissal or forced resignation, ABC News reported.
The focus of this initiative is on individuals with any connection to former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into the events of January 6 and classified documents related to President Donald Trump, reports said. The administration is also reportedly targeting those perceived as resistant to its new policies and initiatives.
Firings Expected to Begin Soon
According to reports, the administration aims to finalize a list of individuals to be removed by Monday, with the first dismissals potentially occurring as early as Friday.
The list is expected to include the heads of multiple FBI field offices nationwide and could result in the termination of numerous agents from the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office alone, sources added.
FBI Director NomineeKash Patel Questioned on Political Retaliation
Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, faced scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday regarding whether agents involved in Smith’s investigations would face retribution if he were confirmed.
“Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for cases,” Patel stated. “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.”
FBI Agents Association Expresses Concern
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) criticized the potential dismissals, stating that such actions would contradict assurances Patel had previously given regarding the fair treatment of FBI employees.
“If true, these outrageous actions by acting officials are fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump and his support for FBI agents,” the association said in a statement.
The FBIAA also warned that dismissing a large number of agents could severely impact the FBI’s ability to address national security and criminal threats, potentially setting up the Bureau and its leadership for failure.
Trump Defends Potential Firings
During an Oval Office press interaction on Friday, Trump was asked about the possible dismissals of Justice Department employees. He appeared to endorse the idea, stating, “If they fired some people over there, that’s a good thing because they were very bad. They used the Justice Department to correct their political opponents, which in itself is illegal.”
When pressed on whether he had specifically ordered any firings, Trump denied direct involvement. “No, but we have some very bad people over there. It was weaponized at a level that nobody’s ever seen before,” he said.
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