A group of FBI agents has sued the Department of Justice (DOJ), alleging unlawful actions targeting personnel involved in January 6 and Trump-related investigations. One lawsuit accuses DOJ leadership of using surveys to identify agents who worked on cases involving the Capitol attack and Trump’s 2020 election challenges. Agents argue the lists could lead to terminations, demotions, or harassment, with some fearing retaliation as their personal information was leaked on the dark web.
Chris Mattei, an attorney for FBI agents, stated, “It is clear that the threatened disclosure is a prelude to an unlawful purge of the FBI solely driven by the Trump Administration’s vengeful and political motivations,” adding, “Releasing the names of these agents would ignite a firestorm of harassment towards them and their families and it must be stopped immediately.”
The lawsuit stated, “Plaintiffs assert that the very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel and to discourage them from reporting any future malfeasance and by Donald Trump and his agents.”
The lawsuit added, “Plaintiffs legitimately fear that the information being compiled will be accessed by persons who are not authorized to have access to it, and who lack the requisite security clearances to handle such information.”
A second lawsuit, filed by seven agents, seeks to block the release of names, citing threats to safety and violations of federal privacy laws and First Amendment rights.
President Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee Kash Patel has faced scrutiny over alleged purges of FBI staff and his support for January 6 rioters during his confirmation. Attorneys general jointly wrote, “Shortly after his confirmation hearing, we learned that more than a dozen high-ranking FBI officials were fired and that the FBI is developing a list of all agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol insurrection.”
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has urged Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to delay Patel’s confirmation vote, citing discrepancies in testimony and FBI staff removals. Grassley dismissed the request as baseless, claiming Patel already provided extensive testimony and records, and confirmed plans to proceed with a vote next week.
Grassley said, “No one was convinced by the minority’s baseless efforts to mischaracterize and malign Kash Patel. It’s additionally outrageous to assert that a nominee should come before the Senate to answer for government actions that occurred prior to their time at an agency.”
John Baker covers U.S. politics & news for content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
