At least 10 FBI employees connected to the investigation into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents have been dismissed, according to reports from CBS News and CNN. The firings follow revelations that the FBI subpoenaed personal phone records of current FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles before Trump returned to office.
The subpoenas were issued during the federal investigation led by former special counsel Jack Smith into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Patel and Wiles were private citizens at the time but close to Trump. In a statement to Reuters, Patel condemned the previous FBI leadership, calling the subpoenas 'outrageous and deeply alarming' and evidence of government overreach under the Biden administration.
The dismissed employees were linked to the documents investigation, which resulted in indictments against Trump in 2023. Smith dropped the cases after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a policy against prosecuting a sitting president. A federal judge has since blocked further publication of Smith's report.
This is not the first round of firings under Patel. In September, three former senior officials sued Patel and the government for wrongful termination, claiming they were fired for investigating Trump. In November, another 27-year veteran was dismissed after Patel became angered by press reports about his use of a government plane for personal travel.
