FBI agents filed lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice on Tuesday to prevent the agency from accessing the identities of employees who worked on investigations into the January 6, 2021, protest at the Capitol.
Last week, acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove requested information about the more than 5,000 FBI employees who participated in the investigations.
‘The only individuals who should be concerned … are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent.’
Bove’s request prompted several FBI agents to take legal action against Trump’s DOJ to block the release of such information.
Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll told agency employees that the DOJ plans to conduct “a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.”
“We understand that this request encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts,” Driscoll told NBC News. “I am one of these employees.”
Nine FBI employees filed a class-action lawsuit on Tuesday against the DOJ. The complaint accused acting Attorney General James McHenry and other department officials of retaliating against them.
They argued that “even if they are not targeted for termination, they may face other retaliatory acts such as demotion, denial of job opportunities or denial of promotions in the future.”
The class-action case would represent “at least 6,000 current and former F.B.I. agents and employees who participated in some manner in the investigation and prosecution of crimes and abuses of power by Donald Trump, or by those acting at his behest.”
The FBI’s union, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, and several other anonymous agents filed separate legal actions on Tuesday, requesting a temporary restraining order against the DOJ. It claimed that “as many as 6,000 FBI employees may currently be targeted for unlawful firing.”
The agents have stated that they believe the Trump administration plans to publicly release their identities, placing them and their families in danger. The administration has not indicated that it intends to do so.
One lawsuit stated that agents expect the DOJ to “soon take action against numerous F.B.I. agents, including the individual plaintiffs named here,” claiming that those “actions will result in the disclosure of the identities of individual F.B.I. agents, which will cause immediate and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs, who will be harassed and subjected to threats of violence in violation of their First Amendment and due process rights.”
On Tuesday, the FBI reportedly complied with the DOJ’s request to turn over information about the agents involved with the January 6 investigations despite the newly filed lawsuits.
According to CNN, the information included employee ID numbers, job titles, and details about their roles. However, it reportedly did not disclose employee names.
FBIAA President Natalie Bara stated, “FBI special agents who risk their lives protecting the country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized simply for doing their jobs.”
“Exposing the names of FBI agents and employees on these lists would put the safety of these individuals and their families at risk. Further, this reckless action would create a chilling effect within the law enforcement community and weaken the Bureau’s ability to combat criminal and national security threats,” Bara added.
Bove clarified the DOJ’s intent in a follow-up letter.
“Let me be clear: No FBI employee who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner with respect to January 6 investigations is at risk of termination or other penalties,” he wrote. “The only individuals who should be concerned about the process initiated by my January 31, 2025 memo are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent, who blatantly defied orders from Department leadership, or who exercised discretion in weaponizing the FBI.”
The FBI and DOJ did not respond to requests for comment from the New York Post.
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