Brian Driscoll, a veteran FBI official who briefly served as acting director this year, is being forced out of the bureau after refusing to hand over the names of agents who investigated the January 6 attack. His final day is Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter. Driscoll reportedly pushed back against pressure from Trump to expose the investigators who once looked into the Capitol riot.
This isn’t just about one man. The FBI is also forcing out Walter Giardina, a senior agent who worked on cases tied to Trump and his former adviser Peter Navarro. Navarro was convicted of defying Congress. Now the people who investigated him are being shown the door.
Behind all this is the Trump-controlled leadership of the FBI. Trump’s handpicked director Kash Patel, and his deputy, Dan Bongino are leading the charge. They have been accusing the FBI of being too political under President Biden. Now they are turning the agency upside down, firing senior officials, reassigning others, and even making some take polygraph tests.
The FBI Agents Association said they are deeply concerned. In their words, agents “followed the law” and carried out their duties “with professionalism and integrity.” They warned that if these agents are fired without due process, it will make America less safe. That warning should not be ignored.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
Senator Mark Warner also spoke out, calling the firings a disturbing pattern of retaliation. He said these were experienced, nonpartisan agents who had dedicated their lives to protecting Americans. He also said Trump was trying to bend the system to serve his own interests. He is right.
Driscoll had a long record of service. He led international counter-terrorism investigations. He commanded the Hostage Rescue Team. He helped manage crisis situations across the country. But all of that did not matter. What mattered to Trump was that Driscoll and his deputy had pushed back when asked to expose agents who investigated the Capitol riot.
Back in January, Driscoll refused to give names. He gave employee numbers instead. That was enough to trigger a memo from senior justice official Emil Bove accusing FBI leadership of “insubordination.” Bove, by the way, was just confirmed to a federal appeals court seat. So Trump’s allies are getting promoted, while his critics are getting fired.
And this is not new. In April, the FBI reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington. Other top agents in field offices have been told to quit or take reassignments. One agent said he was demoted simply for being friends with Peter Strzok, the man who once led the Trump-Russia investigation.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
