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Senior FBI official resisted Trump administration’s orders to fire agents

Driscoll was instructed to dismiss eight senior FBI executives and provide a list of all FBI personnel involved in investigating the Capitol riot cases.

The top officials in the Trump administration want FBI agents involved in January 6 investigations to be fired. (AP)

Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll refused a Justice Department order to fire agents involved in cases related to the January 6 Capitol riots. Driscoll, who also leads the FBI’s Newark office, pushed back so strongly that some officials feared he would be removed from his position.

NBC News reports that Driscoll was instructed to dismiss eight senior FBI executives and provide a list of all FBI personnel involved in investigating the Capitol riot cases. In a memo to FBI staff, Driscoll confirmed that the eight officials had been forced out but did not clarify whether he would submit the broader list.

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“We are going to follow the law, follow FBI policy, and do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people—always,” Driscoll stated in his memo, as quoted by NBC News.

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A senior FBI official dismissed the reports as untrue, but Driscoll’s defiance was significant. An unnamed FBI agent described his actions as “holding his ground” against political pressure.

The top officials in the Trump administration want FBI agents involved in January 6 investigations to be fired, similar to what happened with several Department of Justice prosecutors handling those cases.

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Legal experts argue that these firings are likely illegal under civil service laws, as federal employees cannot be dismissed without due process. Former US attorney Joyce Vance told NBC News that such actions violate existing laws, saying, “Career federal employees can be fired for conduct or performance issues, not because they failed to show political loyalty.”

According to NBC News, the removals have deeply affected morale within the FBI. One former agent questioned, “Who would want to work on a case that might put them at odds with the administration? They will come after you.”

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