The Trump administration is set to expand a purge of career law enforcement officials, demanding the names of those who worked on January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack and Trump-related investigations for potential removal – a move that could affect thousands.
Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll sent an email to all bureau personnel on Friday, instructing them to provide the Justice Department with information about all current and former employees who worked on January 6 investigations by Tuesday. The requested list includes thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts, including Driscoll and the acting deputy director.
The Justice Department will review the list to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary. A memo from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove attached to the email stated that the Justice Department will commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.
The request also includes information on FBI personnel who worked on a criminal case brought in September by the previous administration against several high-level members of Hamas over the October 7, 2023, attack.
The development sent shockwaves throughout the FBI, with several agents and analysts expressing concerns about the potential impacts on the workforce and the FBI’s independence. The requests for information on January 6 cases highlighted the large-scale nature of the investigations, with one employee noting that everyone touched the case.
In addition to the FBI, the Justice Department has also fired over a dozen prosecutors who worked on January 6 cases, and more than a dozen prosecutors from the US attorney’s office in Washington, DC, were let go. The Justice Department is seeking to reassign senior career lawyers to work on immigration-related issues and so-called sanctuary cities.
The Trump administration’s move is seen by some as an effort to strike back at the Justice Department and FBI, which Trump claims have been weaponized against him. The FBI and Justice Department declined to comment.