FBI Fires Two Senior Officials Who Resisted Trump’s Push for Capitol Attack Investigators’ Names

Two high-ranking FBI officials, including one who initially resisted efforts by the Trump administration to identify agents involved in investigations related to the January 6th, 2021 US Capitol attack, have been terminated, according to multiple sources.

Brian Driscoll, acting director of the FBI prior to Kash Patel’s confirmation, is being let go, sources confirm. Steve Jensen, head of the Washington Field Office, has also been dismissed, as reported by two separate sources.

Additionally, other agents within the bureau believed to have shown opposition to Trump in the past have been terminated this week, according to three sources familiar with the agency’s decisions.

Attempts to obtain comment from the FBI and its New York field office have gone unanswered, while the Washington field office declined to comment on the matter.

Earlier in the year, a plan to dismiss over 100 mid-level and senior employees sparked a week-long standoff between then-acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and Driscoll. This internal protest led to Trump’s appointment of Dan Bongino as deputy director of the FBI. Bongino is currently considering resignation due to concerns over the administration’s handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The demand for the names of FBI agents involved in January 6th cases originated from Bove, who stated in a memo that this list would be reviewed for potential dismissals or personnel actions, as per the memo.

“The FBI — including its previous leadership — played an active role in what President Trump rightly described as ‘a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated on the American people over the last four years’ regarding events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Bove said at the time.

In response to Bove’s memo, Driscoll wrote to all bureau personnel, stating that the wide-ranging request “encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts.”

Both Driscoll and Jensen have served with the FBI for almost 20 years and held various roles, including leadership positions nationwide. In 2020, Jensen served as section chief of the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section at FBI Headquarters in Washington. Driscoll, who has been awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and the FBI Shield of Bravery for actions under fire, also served as commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team and special agent in charge of the Newark Field Office.