Quotes
If you proceed with terminations and/or public exposure of terminated employees’ identities, we stand ready to vindicate their rights through all available legal means,
the lawyers wrote to Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general
We are going to follow the law, follow FBI policy, and do what’s in the best interest of the workforce and the American people — always.”
In a note Friday to all FBI employees obtained by CNN, Driscoll saidDo NOT resign or offer to resign,
the FBI Agents Association told members in an email obtained by CNN[W ... W]ork with President Trump to prevent acting officials from taking personnel actions that undermine our shared goal of keeping the FBI out of politics. It is imperative that FBI Special Agents can continue their critical work, free from fear of retaliation, and focused on safeguarding our nation."
According to AP, the FBIAA's letter asked Congress to
We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President's party,
wrote Senators Dick Durbin, Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla and all Senate Judiciary Committee DemocratsRetaliating against these career public servants who were simply doing the work assigned to them is outrageous and unacceptable."
Senate Democrats wrote in their letter to Trump's nominees and acting officialsThe removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security."
The letters continuedAs America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism,
the letter said
These employees were assigned to investigate these cases as part of their normal duties,
the message saidPresident Trump was given a mandate by the American people, and this past election boiled down to the reformers versus permanent Washington,
he said in a statementPlaintiffs assert that the purpose for this list is to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action,
the lawsuit reads
The office of the deputy attorney general will, commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary."
Bove wrote
I have no interest, no desire and will not, if confirmed, go backwards,
Patel told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearingThe 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 by Donald Trump and his agents."
the lawsuit readWe can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President's perceived enemies,
lawmakers led by Senator Dick Durbin wrote in the letter
Put simply, Special Agents who risk their lives protecting this country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized for carrying out the orders they were given by their superiors in the FBI,
the group said, saying
I have spoken to several agents from the UAP Working Group who are afraid of losing their role and the investigation getting unintentionally compromised,
said Ryan Graves, executive director of Americans for Safe Aerospace and a former Navy pilot
In another repulsive affront to the rule of law and our nation's law enforcement officers, the Trump administration today moved to fire scores of FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors simply for enforcing the law and impartially carrying out the largest criminal investigation in American history. If allowed to proceed, Trump's purge of our federal law enforcement workforce will expose America to authoritarianism and dictatorship."
Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a Democrat, said in a statement
This outrageous action is retaliation, pure and simple. These prosecutors and FBI agents worked to uphold the rule of law and hold accountable people who broke it by interfering with the peaceful transfer of power."
Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat, posted on X, formerly TwitterWe understand that this feels like agents and employees are being targeted, despite repeated assurances that all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,
the memo stated