In a sweeping move, the Trump administration has instructed multiple senior FBI officials to resign or face termination. The directives were reportedly communicated on Thursday and have impacted executive assistant directors and top agents in field offices, many of whom are involved in overseeing national security and criminal investigations. The reshuffle comes as part of President Donald Trump's broader efforts to reform federal law enforcement agencies.
The officials affected by this directive were originally promoted by former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who resigned at the end of President Joe Biden's term. In a parallel move earlier this week, the Department of Justice terminated more than a dozen lawyers who had played key roles in prosecuting Trump in cases related to classified documents and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. These cases were subsequently dropped following Trump's reelection.
At the heart of these developments is Kash Patel, Trump's chosen successor for the role of FBI Director. During a recent confirmation hearing before the Senate, Patel assured lawmakers that all FBI employees would be protected against political retribution. Despite these assurances, at least six senior FBI leaders have been given a deadline until Monday to retire, resign, or be fired. This action follows closely on the heels of the DOJ dismissals, which served as a precursor to the current situation within the FBI.
President Trump has been vocal about his intentions to replace Wray with Patel, who is considered a loyal political ally. The ongoing changes underscore the administration's commitment to restructuring federal law enforcement bodies, aligning them more closely with its political objectives. The move to replace Wray with Patel is seen as a strategic effort to consolidate control over the nation's top investigative agency.
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