Nationwide — The FBI has fired at least 10 agents who took part in investigations into President Trump, including the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case. The moves are part of a broader “purge” under Director Kash Patel targeting employees linked to Trump probes.
The latest terminations affected employees involved in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, which looked into Trump keeping top-secret documents from his first presidential term. The case included the high-profile FBI search of his Florida resort and federal charges for obstruction, according to the Associated Press.
The firings come amid a broader pattern under Patel, a Trump appointee, who has dismissed dozens of agents and prosecutors over the past year. Many were involved in Trump-related investigations or seen as misaligned with the administration. The Justice Department has made similar sweeping changes to prosecutors since Trump returned to office.
The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings, calling them unlawful and harmful to national security. “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,” the group said.
Some of the agents removed had also worked on the separate 2020 election investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the vote. Both cases had led to criminal charges but were paused after Trump returned to office, following longstanding Justice Department rules that prevent indicting a sitting president.
Patel revealed the shake-up the same day he confirmed that the FBI, during the Biden administration, had subpoenaed his phone records and those of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. He had previously testified under immunity in the Mar-a-Lago case before a grand jury in 2022.