Nine Former FBI Employees Sue Bureau Over Alleged Retaliatory Firings
Nine former FBI agents and analysts are suing the bureau, claiming they were unlawfully fired for their work on the Trump classified documents investigation.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, USA — A group of nine former FBI employees filed a lawsuit on Thursday, alleging they were wrongfully terminated as retaliation for their involvement in former special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into President Trump’s handling of classified records.
The plaintiffs, which include intelligence analysts, staff operation specialists, and former special agents, were dismissed over a two-day period in February 2026. This timing coincided with the commencement of military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran.
The legal complaint asserts that the employees were removed without any legitimate cause or internal disciplinary process. According to the suit, FBI Director Kash Patel bypassed standard procedures, claiming authority under Article II of the Constitution to execute the firings.
The lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs were targeted to satisfy a personal vendetta held by the president. It further claims that the terminations lacked any notice, hearing, or opportunity for appeal.
The legal action highlights public statements made by the president and former deputy attorney general Blanche, who previously remarked that the administration had cleaned house at the FBI regarding personnel associated with investigations into the president.
Specific details in the filing describe the experience of counterintelligence section chief Jennifer Bacon. She was terminated shortly after Miles Starr, a member of Patel’s advisory team, requested access to the classified files related to the investigation, codenamed Plasmic Echo.
The suit notes that Starr was the lead case agent who testified in the now-dismissed indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. Following the request for access to the Plasmic Echo files, Bacon and the other plaintiffs were fired within 48 hours.
The filing also suggests the firings may have served as a distraction from negative press surrounding Director Patel. Reports had surfaced regarding Patel’s behavior at the Olympic Games in Milan, where he was observed drinking and throwing alcohol in the U.S. men’s hockey team locker room.
Attorneys Margaret Donovan, Abbe Lowell, and Rebecca Tinio stated that their clients, who possess over a century of combined experience, were dismissed simply for performing their duties. They emphasized that the agents had previously handled high-profile matters, including the Boston Marathon bombing.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
