FBI Agents Association rips Kash Patel’s ‘unlawful termination’ spree following investigation into Trump’s handling of classified files

Kash Patel has ordered the termination of at least 10 employees who were involved in the investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. This move is part of a much wider internal investigation looking into the actions taken during that probe, which ultimately led to criminal charges against Trump and two of his employees.

Patel initiated this extensive internal investigation after discovering records indicating that the FBI had subpoenaed his own communication records, as well as those of White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. These subpoenas were issued during a 2022-2023 probe that eventually came under the leadership of special counsel Jack Smith. Patel made the seizure of these records public in a statement on Wednesday.

Per CNN, Patel expressed strong disapproval, stating that it was:

“Outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records, along with those of now White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight.” 

So, legal investigations are evidently outrageous

The FBI Agents Association condemned Patel’s actions as “unlawful termination.” They argued that these firings violate the due process rights of agents who dedicate their lives to protecting the country. In turn, it weakens the Bureau by stripping away crucial 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.

It’s important to remember that the Justice Department was investigating Trump for both retaining classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. Subpoenaing information from individuals connected to Trump is considered a normal part of the investigative process in such cases. In fact, Patel himself was compelled to testify before a grand jury in 2022 as part of these investigations.

Following Trump’s re-election, Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped both the election subversion case and the classified documents case against him. This decision was based on longstanding Justice Department rules that prevent the prosecution of a sitting president. 

Separately, Republicans in Congress have recently voiced complaints about Smith using a grand jury to subpoena phone toll records from several lawmakers in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. It’s worth noting that investigators subpoenaed call logs, which only show calls placed and received, and there is no evidence suggesting they “tapped” those phones to listen to conversations.

These recent employee terminations aren’t an isolated incident. They are the latest in a series of actions by Director Patel to push out agents and other employees who worked on cases related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and the Trump Mar-a-Lago documents cases. 

In the meantime, while Patel finds legal activity “outrageous,” he sees no problem in appropriating department assets for personal use, while agents had to struggle. It shows you where his priorities lie.