Kash Patel Purges FBI Agents Over Trump Investigations

FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed approximately 12 agents, analysts, and supervisors between February 25 and 27, 2026. The purged personnel, including members of the Washington-based CI-12 counterintelligence unit, were primarily involved in former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into President Donald Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and his efforts to interfere in the 2020 election.

Patel justified the firings by alleging that previous FBI leadership under the Biden administration secretly subpoenaed his and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' phone records while they were private citizens. He claimed the bureau used "flimsy pretexts" and hid the evidence in "Prohibited" case files to evade oversight. Reports also indicate the FBI recorded a 2023 phone call between Wiles and her attorney without her knowledge. Former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified that the records were legally obtained to verify the January 6 Capitol riot timeline.

The FBI Agents Association condemned the terminations as unlawful violations of due process that destabilize the workforce. Concerns grew regarding national security after the dismissals occurred shortly before the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury in Iran. Critics and officials suggest the loss of experienced CI-12 experts may hamper the government's ability to monitor Iranian-backed plots. Simultaneously, Patel faced scrutiny over his use of government jets for allegedly personal travel, including a trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy, which Senator Dick Durbin alleged hampered responses to domestic crises in Utah and Rhode Island.