Quotes
The situation at the FBI is surreal and sickening, ... reported mass firings a day after Trump’s FBI Director nominee said there would be no political firings.”
said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat,
I do not believe that the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully,
Bove wrote in the memo
The weaponization of the FBI’s security clearance process is similarly troubling,
Bove continuedThis memorandum sets forth a series of directives, authorized by the Acting Attorney General, regarding personnel matters to be addressed at the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Bove wroteFor each employee included in the list, provide the current title, office to which the person is assigned, role in the investigation or prosecution, and date of last activity relating to the investigation or prosecution,
Bove directedI am one of those employees, as is acting Deputy Director Kissane,
Driscoll wroteI have been personally in touch with each of these impacted employees,
Driscoll wroteThe American people have witnessed the previous administration engage in a systemic campaign against its perceived political opponents, weaponizing the legal force of numerous Federal law enforcement agencies and the Intelligence Community against those perceived political opponents in the form of investigations, prosecutions, civil enforcement actions, and other related actions,
Bove's memo notedI'll have to see what is exactly going on after this is finished,
he addedI was informed by FBIHQ today that the executive leadership at the Department of Justice plans to dismiss me from the rolls of the FBI, along with several other FBI executives, as soon as Monday Morning,
Evans wrote
Dismissing potentially hundreds of agents would severely weaken the bureau's ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the bureau and its new leadership for failure,
the association said in a statement
No, but we have some very bad people over there. It was weaponized at a level that nobody's never seen before. They came after a lot of people — like me — but they came after a lot of people."
Asked at the White House on Friday if he had anything to do with the scrutiny of the agents, he said
I don't know what's going on right now over there, but I'm committed to you, Senator, and your colleagues, that I will honor the due process of the FBI."
Asked by Democratic Senator Cory Booker whether he would reverse any decisions before his confirmation that didn't follow that standard process, Patel saidIf they fired some people over there, that's a good thing, because they were very bad."
He added
The forced departure of some of the most experienced and proven leaders of the FBI puts our national security in the danger zone,
said Frank Figliuzzi, the former head of FBI counterintelligence and an NBC News contributor
This is having a big chilling an effect,
another FBI official said
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.”
Despite Patel’s reassurances, the FBI Agents Association expressed
The FBI is declining to comment on any questions regarding FBI personnel matters. We have also instructed the public affairs officers in our field offices to decline to comment as well,
However, an FBI spokesperson told ABC News ... upon reaching outEvery FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for cases. All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,
Patel respondedI was given no rationale for this decision, which, as you might imagine, has come as a shock,
FBI agent writes in email to colleagues