WASHINGTON — Three former senior FBI officials have filed a sweeping federal lawsuit accusing Director Kash Patel and other close allies of President Donald Trump of orchestrating a politically motivated purge inside the bureau during the early months of Trump’s second term.
The 68-page complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, paints a damning picture of what the plaintiffs describe as a “chaotic crusade” to punish anyone perceived as disloyal to Trump. The lawsuit alleges that Patel, under pressure from the White House and Justice Department leadership, carried out mass firings of FBI leaders who had previously worked on criminal cases tied to Trump.
The plaintiffs — former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll Jr., Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans — contend that their refusal to engage in political errands led to their abrupt dismissal despite decades of unblemished service. They are seeking reinstatement, compensation, and a public “name-clearing hearing.”
“Patel explained that he had to fire the people his superiors told him to fire, because his ability to keep his own job depended on the removal of the agents who worked on cases involving the President,” the lawsuit alleges. “The FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”
According to the suit, Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino frequently changed course in response to social media campaigns by Trump loyalists, often assuring FBI officials their positions were secure before abruptly terminating them. The complaint also implicates Emil Bove, a former top Justice Department lawyer confirmed this summer to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, though he is not a defendant.
Read Also: Sadio Mané Reflects On Comeback: “We Knew It Was Possible”
The lawsuit names Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI, the Justice Department, the Executive Office of the President, and the United States as defendants. Trump himself is not named.
The filings further allege that Trump allies lacked even “basic understanding of FBI management” and relied heavily on figures like Stephen Miller for guidance, fostering what the plaintiffs describe as a climate of fear and retaliation inside the bureau.
Driscoll and Jensen are represented by Abbe Lowell — known for taking on high-profile cases against the administration — along with Margaret Donovan, a former federal prosecutor. Evans is represented by whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid and labor lawyer Heidi Burackiewicz.
The case marks one of the most direct legal challenges yet to claims of politicization under Trump’s second-term leadership, threatening to reignite debate over the FBI’s independence in the post-Trump era.
