FBI Director Kash Patel has reportedly moved to clear out a number of senior bureau officials tied to investigations involving President Donald Trump, according to a new report that suggests a sweeping shakeup inside the agency.
Multiple people briefed on the matter told MS NOW on Friday that senior field office leaders in Atlanta and New Orleans have been removed. The report also said the acting assistant director who oversaw the FBI’s New York field office was pushed out. In addition, as many as six agents in Miami were reportedly forced out because of their roles in the FBI’s classified documents search at Mar-a-Lago.
The report added that other agents who were removed had ties to the Biden-era “Arctic Frost” investigation, which focused on efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Together, the moves appear to target officials connected to some of the most controversial and politically charged investigations the bureau has conducted in recent years.
The exact scope of the shakeup remains unclear. MS NOW reported that an FBI spokesperson did not respond to questions from journalists Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig about how many officials were removed or the reasons behind the departures.
News of the reported ousters surfaced just hours after former special counsel Jack Smith appeared before Congress. Smith testified on Capitol Hill to defend how he handled the Trump investigations, even as Republican lawmakers sharply questioned his impartiality. Around the same time, Trump publicly called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Smith, adding to the political pressure surrounding the bureau and its past leadership.
According to MS NOW, the FBI Agents Association had previously warned that removing agents without evidence of misconduct would violate long-standing norms within the bureau. That caution, however, appears to have been brushed aside as Patel moved forward with the reported changes.
The report also noted that some of the agents who were previously dismissed are now taking legal action. Among them is former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll, who, along with others, is reportedly suing over his removal. Details of those lawsuits were not provided in the report, but they underscore the growing internal turmoil facing the agency.
The shakeup marks a dramatic moment for the FBI as Patel takes the reins and seeks to remake an institution that conservatives have long accused of political bias. Critics of the bureau have argued for years that senior officials weaponized federal law enforcement against Trump and his allies, while defenders of the agency have insisted the investigations were justified and conducted properly.
The timing of the reported removals, coming immediately after Smith’s congressional testimony, has only intensified scrutiny of the bureau’s leadership and raised questions about how deeply Patel intends to go in restructuring the FBI.
While MS NOW characterized the moves as controversial, supporters of the changes see them as long overdue accountability for officials tied to investigations they believe were politically motivated. With lawsuits already underway and questions mounting about the future of the agency, the reported purge signals that Patel’s tenure is likely to be defined by aggressive efforts to dismantle what critics describe as entrenched bias within the FBI.
As the situation continues to unfold, both the scope of the removals and their long-term impact on the bureau remain uncertain.
