Agent in a superior position, responsible for managing FBI's actions following the events of Jan. 6, dismissed from their position
In a series of unexpected moves, senior FBI agents have been removed from their positions, sparking concerns about political retaliation and lack of due process.
The ousters include Brian Driscoll, who briefly served as acting FBI director early in the second Trump administration, and Steven Jensen, head of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., field office. Jensen led a domestic terrorism unit investigating the January 6 attack.
Walter Giardina, another agent targeted, was part of the team investigating Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro's efforts to challenge the 2020 election outcome. The details on Christopher Meyer and Spencer Evans are less explicit, but they are among the senior agents removed during this purge.
Reports suggest that about 18 senior agents have been affected, many of whom were women or people of colour, according to Senate sources. The removals were carried out with no clear official reasons given directly to those affected, but political motivations associated with their involvement in January 6 and election-related investigations have been widely reported.
Brian Driscoll resisted demands to reveal the identities of agents involved in the January 6 investigations, while Steven Jensen was scheduled to appear at a news conference but was replaced by a deputy at the last minute. Jensen notified his employees of his termination in an email and expressed his intention to face the situation with professionalism, integrity, and dignity.
The FBI Agents Association has expressed concern over the reports of the ousters, stating that the moves run counter to what FBI leaders had promised and appeared to be carried out with no due process. Critics argue that the ousters at all levels of the agency amount to little more than retaliation against agents who were assigned to or oversaw politically sensitive cases that Trump and other conservatives dislike.
The U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, declined to comment on Jensen’s absence, stating that she would not discuss politics on the day of the event. Chuck Grassley, Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has criticized Giardina for alleged anti-Trump bias.
Evans angered Trump supporters who accused him of denying religious exemptions for the coronavirus vaccine. Meyer had recently been singled out on social media by a former agent who outlined his work on a Trump case.
It is not yet clear if the administration intends to remove additional FBI employees, but the events have raised alarming questions about the independence of the FBI and the politicization of law enforcement.
[1] NBC News. (2021, June 18). Senior FBI officials ousted amid Trump's push to reshape agency. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/senior-fbi-officials-ousted-amid-trump-s-push-reshape-agency-n1271327
[2] The Washington Post. (2021, June 18). Trump allies push to oust top FBI officials after Jan. 6. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/18/trump-allies-push-oust-top-fbi-officials-after-jan-6/
[3] The New York Times. (2021, June 18). Trump Allies Push to Oust Top F.B.I. Officials Amid Inquiries Into Capitol Riot. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/18/us/politics/fbi-ouster-trump.html
- The removal of senior FBI agents, such as Brian Driscoll, Steven Jensen, Walter Giardina, Christopher Meyer, and Spencer Evans, from their positions has sparked concerns about political retaliation and lack of due process in political-related investigations, war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and policy-and-legislation.
- The general news is filled with reports of the ouster of about 18 senior FBI agents, many of whom were women or people of color, who were handling sensitive cases, including the investigation of the January 6 attack and Trump-related elections.
- As the Independence of the FBI is questioned due to the politicization of law enforcement, mainstream news outlets like NBC News, The Washington Post, and The New York Times are covering the ongoing efforts by Trump allies to reshape the agency, with questionable motives surrounding the removal of these agents from their duties.
