FBI purges agents tied to 2022 Mar-a-Lago search
The FBI has terminated at least 10 employees — including a half-dozen special agents — who were involved in the federal investigation into President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents. The dismissals occurred shortly after FBI Director Kash Patel announced that federal prosecutors had obtained his phone records and those of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles before they took office.
Phone records claims and internal dismissals
Reuters first reported that the FBI subpoenaed phone-call records for Patel and Wiles in 2022 and 2023. Patel alleges this data collection occurred during former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump’s retention of classified material at Mar-a-Lago and alleged interference in the 2020 election.
Reuters noted that obtaining call logs, which reveal who spoke and when, rather than the actual conversations, is a standard investigative tactic that does not require judicial sign-off, even when targeting high-profile individuals.
In a statement to Reuters, Patel accused previous FBI leadership of using “flimsy pretexts” and burying the process in prohibited case files “designed to evade all oversight.” Reuters clarified it could not independently verify the exact scope of the subpoenas, nor could it confirm whether Patel and Wiles were the direct targets of the probe.
How many FBI employees were dismissed — and why it’s disputed
NBC News reported that the firings were carried out at Patel’s direction and that sources said at least 10 employees overall were dismissed, including support personnel, agents and supervisors, and that at least a half-dozen agents were tied to the 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. According to CBS News, Patel has presented no public evidence that the terminated employees committed workplace misconduct.
CBS News said a source familiar with the matter confirmed that Wiles’ records were reviewed as part of the classified documents case. While the network could not confirm if Patel’s data was pulled for that same inquiry, a source told CBS his records were not subpoenaed during the separate 2020 election interference probe, dubbed Arctic Frost.
The fight over due process and Smith’s record
The recent terminations have drawn fierce pushback from the FBI Agents Association. In statements carried by major networks, the union representing current and former agents condemned the firings as unlawful. The group warned that circumventing due process to remove critical expertise is destabilizing the bureau and jeopardizing national security.
The dismissals come amid broader fallout from Smith’s two federal investigations of Trump. CBS News reported that a federal judge in Florida dismissed the classified documents charges in mid-2024, finding that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Smith voluntarily wound down the remaining election-related charges following Trump’s victory at the ballot box. Reuters reported Monday that a federal judge permanently blocked the Justice Department from publishing Smith’s final report on the documents case.
Trump has frequently accused Smith and other Biden-era justice officials of illegal behavior, demanding their prosecution. In response, attorneys representing Smith told CBS News that his investigative methods were entirely lawful and in strict compliance with established Justice Department policies.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
