Fired High-Ranking FBI Officials File Lawsuit Against Bureau
(MENAFN) Three high-ranking former FBI officials have filed a lawsuit against the bureau, claiming they were wrongfully dismissed in a politically motivated effort led by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The plaintiffs—former Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, senior D.C. field officer Steven Jensen, and Las Vegas field office chief Spencer Evans—allege they were targeted for failing "to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty" in what they describe as a coordinated "campaign of retribution" from the White House.
The 68-page complaint, filed Wednesday, accuses FBI Director Kash Patel of unlawfully terminating the officials at Trump’s direction. Despite allegedly acknowledging the illegality of his actions, the suit claims Patel carried out the firings to secure his position within the bureau.
The lawsuit states the trio "were the targets of Defendants’ retribution for their refusals to politicize the FBI, and they seek to vindicate their constitutional and legal rights."
It further outlines conversations between Patel and the plaintiffs, citing them as evidence of an orchestrated purge of personnel seen as disloyal to Trump.
The filing states that Patel conveyed to Driscoll that firing specific agents was necessary to protect his own position, asserting that the President remained angry over past investigations and that efforts to stop the dismissals would be futile.
When Driscoll objected that terminating employees based on their case involvement violated internal protocols, Patel reportedly acknowledged the actions were “likely illegal,” adding that “he could be sued and later deposed.”
The complaint also references a separate exchange between Driscoll and White House representative Paul Ingrassia, who allegedly questioned Driscoll’s political allegiance with queries such as: “Who did you vote for?”, “Do you agree that the FBI agents who ‘stormed’ Mar-a-Lago, to include the rank-and-file, should be held accountable?”, “When did you start supporting President Trump?”, and “Have you voted for a Democrat in the last five elections?”
Driscoll declined to respond to the final two questions, ending the interview, the suit claims.
Named as defendants alongside Patel are the FBI, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Department of Justice, and the Executive Office of the President.
The lawsuit marks a significant legal escalation in ongoing accusations that political loyalty tests and retaliatory dismissals have compromised the independence of U.S. law enforcement institutions.
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