Kash Patel Made Politically-Motivated Firings He Knew Were ‘Likely Illegal’ — 3 Former Top FBI Officials Allege in Bombshell Lawsuit

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Three fired top FBI officials are claiming that FBI Director Kash Patel carried out politicized firings at the behest of President Donald Trump.

In a bombshell lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, former acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll and ex-senior EBI officials Steven Jensen and Spencer Evans allege they were fired for a “failure to demonstrate sufficient political loyalty.” And the three ousted officials say Patel “openly acknowledged the unlawfulness of his actions” in an Aug. 5 conversation with Driscoll.

“Patel admitted that his superiors, who he referred to as ‘they’ and who Driscoll understood to include Defendant Department of Justice …and the White House … had directed him to fire anyone who they identified as having worked on a criminal investigation against President Donald J. Trump,” the lawsuit alleges. “Patel explained that he had to fire the people his superiors told him to fire, because his ability to keep his own job depended on the removal of the agents who worked on cases involving the President. Patel explained that there was nothing he or Driscoll could do to stop these or any other firings, because ‘the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.’ Driscoll indicated his belief that Patel’s reference to his superiors meant DOJ and the White House, and Patel did not deny it.”

Patel, the lawsuit claims, went on to acknowledge that the firings “would be in direct violation of internal FBI processes meant to adjudicate adverse actions and prevent retaliation based on case assignments. He again commented that he knew the nature of the summary firings were likely illegal and that he could be sued and later deposed.”

The lawsuit — first reported by MSNBC and NPR — alleges that Driscoll was asked to take a political loyalty test administered by Paul Ingrassia when he was being considered for the job of acting director. He claims he was asked who he voted for in the 2024 election, and whether he supported holding the FBI agents who participated in the 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago “accountable.” The filing says Driscoll refused to answer those questions.

Emil Bove, who was just confirmed by the Senate as a federal judge, is portrayed as a key player in the FBI firings. Bove — who was appointed to a top DOJ post shortly after Trump took office — allegedly told Driscoll the week after the inauguration that White House deputy chief of staff Steven Miller was leaning on him to carry out an FBI staff purge. He allegedly did that by targeting, among others, agents involved in Jan. 6 investigations.

“Throughout the week of January 27, 2025, Bove made several demands for FBI investigative squad rosters in the Las Vegas, Miami, and Washington Field Offices, which Driscoll understood to be for the purpose of summary terminations,” the lawsuit claims. It added, “Bove instructed Driscoll and Kissane to provide a list of FBI personnel associated with the investigations into the January 6, 2021 attacks at the Capitol.”

Driscoll claimed he refused to go along, but Bove was insistent. From the lawsuit:

“Driscoll explained that a mass firing of FBI personnel who worked on January 6 matters would not be in accordance with FBI procedures and would put national security at risk. He further stated that he would not tolerate such an action without an articulated reason and compliance with existing due process requirements.

“To emphasize the magnitude and breadth of Bove’s request, Driscoll explained that Driscoll himself would be on the list. He also explained that if that list were ever leaked or made public, the affected FBI employees would potentially face threats, physical and/or otherwise. In response, Bove said he believed there was ‘cultural rot’ within the FBI.”

The DOJ is named in the lawsuit, as is Attorney General Pam Bondi. Neither the FBI nor the DOJ has yet commented on the lawsuit.

Read the full complaint here.