FBI association accuses Director Kash Patel of violating due process in high-profile firings
By Holmes Lybrand, CNN
(CNN) — The FBI Agents Association is warning lawmakers that recent firings at the agency have “purposely violated” the due process rights of agents, expressly calling out FBI Director Kash Patel for what the association sees as flagrant policy violations and potential political retribution.
“We want you to be aware that Director Patel is making personnel decisions without providing the due process protections promised to the recently terminated law enforcement officers under federal law,” the association’s president, Natalie Bara, wrote to Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees.
The letter highlights the firings of former FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll, Washington Field Office Assistant Director Steven Jensen, and several other special agents, who received letters from Patel this month informing them of their immediate termination.
“None of the affected Agents were previously accused of misconduct or given notice and an opportunity to defend themselves,” Bara wrote, “even though well-established FBI policy … required that these Agents be provided with both.”
In a separate message to its members Wednesday, the association’s leadership slammed Patel for allegedly reneging on past promises of due process, writing, “He has failed to honor that commitment.”
The message continued with a warning about potential threats to the nation’s security, indicating the recent “terminations, which disregard established law and procedure, threaten to undermine the vital work Special Agents perform and create serious national security risks.”
One recent issue that caused discord with top officials at the FBI was Driscoll not disciplining an FBI pilot for the director after it was discovered he was involved in issuing a subpoena in the Mar-a-Lago investigation into President Donald Trump and associates, CNN previously reported.
When asked about firings at the FBI, Patel told Fox Business on Wednesday that if they find any agents who were involved in past cases against President Trump or part of the so-called “weaponization” of the agency, they would also be fired.
“Every single person that has been found to have weaponized or participated in that process has been removed from leadership positions,” Patel said. “And if and when we find any others that are involved in this – as you know, this is a 37,000-person agency – we are going to take swift action, just like we have.”
In her letter, Bara noted that Patel, during his confirmation hearings, testified that he would “honor the internal review process of the FBI” in employment matters.
“The recent summary terminations of these highly experienced Special Agents, however, are wholly inconsistent with that commitment,” Bara said, adding that the firings “were completely lacking in both due process and dignity.”
In a letter informing others of his termination, Driscoll wrote to colleagues: “I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers. No cause has been articulated at this time.”
Bara said the agents have been left “with no explanation for this deviation from law and policy other than political retribution.”
The FBI declined to comment on the letter.
CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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