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Russian (RU) Chaos rattled the FBI on Monday when at least four agents assigned to assist special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations were fired, sparking confusion over whetherthey would be rehired.
The move, reportedly made under pressure from the White House, came amid a broader Republican effort to punish those who investigated President Donald Trump’s various alleged crimes.
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In a statement, the FBI Agents Association urged FBI Director Kash Patel to end the retaliation against agents simply doing their jobs. The group represents some 14,000 current and former agents.
“The actions yesterday — in which FBI Special Agents were terminated and then reinstated shortly after, and only again to be fired again today — highlight the chaos that occurs when long-standing policies and processes are ignored,” the group said. “An Agent simply being assigned to an investigation and conducting it appropriately within the law should never be grounds for termination. Director Patel has disregarded the law and launched a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution.”
Smith’s investigations led to a series of criminal charges for Trump over alleged mishandling of classified government documents and his brazen attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Those cases were wound down and abandoned after Trump’s re-election one year ago.
CNN reported that Washington, D.C.’s top prosecutor, Trump ally Jeanine Pirro, attempted to intervene on behalf of the fired FBI agents, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
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The agents’ names were released publicly as the Senate Judiciary Committee looked into how Smith’s investigations were conducted. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the committee’s chairman, tweeted critically about them, albeit not by name.
“FBI Agents deal in facts, and we urge Director Patel to do the same,” the FBIAA said.
“When leadership abandons due process, it doesn’t just erode trust — it makes the American public less safe,” the group went on. “FBI Agents must be free to focus on protecting the American people, not fear losing their jobs over third party social media posts.”
Although brief, Patel’s tenure leading the federal law enforcement agency has already been marked by embarrassing blunders and allegations of corruption.
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Patel sparked confusion during the manhunt for the shooter who murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in September when he prematurely tweeted about law enforcement suspects. He defended himself on the basis of promoting transparency, but was found to have been dining at an exclusive New York City restaurant the night of the manhunt.
Patel later appeared at a tense congressional hearing, during which his odd notes were captured on camera. Most recently, his use of the FBI’s private jets has come under sharp scrutiny amid revelations that he was merely visiting his girlfriend.
Patel defended his actions because his girlfriend is “a rock-solid conservative and a country music sensation who has done more for this nation than most will in ten lifetimes.”
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