3 fired FBI officials sue Kash Patel, say he bowed to White Houses campaign of retribution
The 3 FBI officials who were fired by Kash Patel last month have filed a lawsuit. They have called the firings illegal and blamed Patel of acting under the influence of the Trump administration. One of the defendants argued that Patel told him that he knew that it was "likely illegal" to fire agents based on the cases they worked, but he was powerless, as the White House and the Justice Department were determined to remove all agents who had investigated President Donald Trump.
New Delhi: Three high-ranking FBI officials who were fired last month have filed a lawsuit against the bureau's chief, Kash Patel. In the lawsuit filed against their boss, the fired officials have said that the FBI Director gave in to a "campaign of retribution". The lawsuit also accused the Trump administration and the White House of directly meddling in the bureau's personal moves.
Kash Patel knew firing was illegal: Complaint
According to the complaint filed. Kash Patel told one of the fired officials, Brian Driscoll, that he knew it was "likely illegal" to fire agents based on the cases they worked, but he was powerless, as the White House and the Justice Department were determined to remove all agents who had investigated President Donald Trump.
The report in Yahoo news also said that the lawsuit quotes Patel as telling the agent, Driscoll, that the "FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn't forgotten that."
The lawsuit was filed by Driscoll, Steve Jensen and Spencer Evans, 3 of the 5 FBI agents fired last month. FBI officials said that the firings have unnerved the workforce. This lawsuit filed by some of the former top officials of the FBI paints a picture of the investigative agency as an organisation whose personal decisions are shaped more by political considerations, rather than public safety.
The suit accused Patel of "politicising the FBI without consideration to public safety." The lawsuit said that Patel chose to fire 3 of the most experienced operational leaders of the FBI, who have helped to reduce terrorism and prevent violent crimes in the country.
There has been no comment from the FBI so far over the lawsuit. They had also not released any statement after the 3 FBI agents were fired.