Three former senior FBI officials have filed a lawsuit against bureau director Kash Patel and the federal government, alleging wrongful termination and widespread political interference. The plaintiffs—Brian Driscoll Jr, Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans—each served decades at the FBI before being dismissed. They are seeking reinstatement, backpay, and a declaration that their firings were unlawful.
The complaint, lodged in federal court in Washington DC, claims Patel told Driscoll that the White House had ordered him to fire any agent involved in investigations of Donald Trump. Patel allegedly said his own job depended on removing those agents, adding that “the FBI tried to put the president in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.” The lawsuit also alleges that former top justice department official Emil Bove asked Driscoll for a list of agents who worked on the January 6 Capitol attack investigation, threatening misconduct reviews if they were not fired.
Driscoll was fired after opposing the dismissal of agent Christopher Meyer, who had been wrongly linked to the Mar-a-Lago search. Despite Driscoll’s warnings that firing Meyer would violate his veteran status and FBI policies, Patel insisted the agent would be removed by August 8, 2025, acknowledging the bureau would likely lose a resulting lawsuit. Jensen faced pressure from deputy director Dan Bongino to fire agent Walter Giardina, who worked on Robert Mueller’s Trump investigation and arrested Trump ally Peter Navarro. Jensen refused, citing FBI protocols and Giardina’s veteran protections.
Evans was targeted after a former agent friendly with Patel alleged Evans denied his request for a Covid protocol exemption. The lawsuit describes these actions as “retribution” for the plaintiffs’ refusal to politicise the FBI. Driscoll stated: “The American people deserve an FBI made up of professionals who can serve righteously and confidently, with no fear of inappropriately applied pressure or wrongful termination.”
