Latest news with #TheSteadyState
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Kash Patel's FBI 'purge' sparks 'dire warning' from former officials
A coalition of former FBI, intelligence, diplomatic, and national security officials has accused FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino of orchestrating a political 'purge' of the bureau. In an extraordinary open letter the group said that the mass firings of senior agents threaten the FBI's independence and could turn it into a 'personal enforcement arm of a political figure.' The letter, signed by members of a group calling itself The Steady State, comes after Patel and Bongino abruptly fired several high-ranking officials last week. They included former Acting Director Brian Driscoll (pictured), Washington Field Office chief Steven Jensen, and veteran agents Walter Giardina and Michael Feinberg. All were told to clear their desks by Friday. 'It is not about reform. It is about control,' the group wrote. 'The aim, it seems, is to transform the FBI from a respected, constitutionally grounded investigative service into a personal enforcement arm of a political figure… We have seen these dynamics abroad - leaders who demand loyalty from security services not to the law, but to themselves. These regimes do not end well.' The statement accused the Trump administration of installing Patel and Bongino in leadership despite 'not having resumes that meet the basic standards' to run what it called 'the world's premier law enforcement agency.' The officials said the agents were targeted for not showing personal loyalty to President Donald Trump, calling the FBI's independence 'a democratic necessity.' From bureau veterans to sudden targets The firings landed hardest on officials with deep experience in national security, counterterrorism, and high-profile investigations. Driscoll, a veteran of the bureau's Hostage Rescue Team and a former leader of its Critical Incident Response Group, served as acting director after Christopher Wray's departure and was regarded inside the bureau as a hero having resisted Trump administration demands to turn over the names of agents who worked on January 6 investigations. The Justice Department's former Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove (pictured), who has since been confirmed to serve as an appellate court judge, accused Driscoll and former FBI Acting Deputy Director Robert Kissane of insubordination, after they tried to fend off his efforts to collect a list of the names of all those people. He said the requests were meant to 'permit the Justice Department to conduct a review of those particular agents' conduct pursuant to Trump's executive order' on 'weaponization' in the Biden administration. Responding to Bove's request, the FBI provided personnel details about several thousand employees, identifying them by unique employee numbers rather than by names. Driscoll, nicknamed 'The Drizz,' told his colleagues in a farewell message on Thursday that he was given no explanation for his removal. 'I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I have no answers,' Driscoll told colleagues in a farewell email. 'No cause has been articulated at this time. Please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you.' He wrote: 'Our collective sacrifice for those we serve is, and will always be, worth it. I regret nothing. You are my heroes and I remain in your debt.' Jensen, who oversaw the Washington Field Office - one of the bureau's busiest - was told his termination would be effective immediately. 'I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity and dignity,' he wrote in his own farewell note. 'Never waver in your resolve to answer the call to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution,' he added. Giardina, who worked on cases involving Trump aide Peter Navarro, and Feinberg (pictured), who has said he faced retaliation over his friendship with former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok, were also shown the door. Giardina had been recently targeted by Republican Senator Charles Grassley for his involvement in several Trump-related cases. Numerous senior officials including top agents in charge of big-city field offices have been pushed out of their jobs, and some agents have been subjected to polygraph exams, moves that former officials say have roiled the workforce and contributed to angst. Former Las Vegas Special Agent-in-Charge Spencer Evans was also told to leave on Friday. Numerous special agents in charge of field offices have been told to retire, resign or accept reassignment. In April the bureau also reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. The Steady State's letter painted the dismissals as part of a broader campaign to dismantle the FBI's 'long-standing independence' and replace it with political loyalty tests. 'The FBI has long been a bulwark against such corruption… Its independence is not a bureaucratic feature; it is a democratic necessity,' the letter read. They urged remaining agents to hold the line: 'The nation is watching, and will be inspired by the FBI. And history will remember.' Former FBI agent Phil Kennedy, an outspoken critic of the current leadership, posted the letter on social media and referred to the firings as 'the recent FBI purge,' calling it a 'Bureau bloodbath.' The mass terminations are the latest wave in a months-long shakeup under Patel and Bongino, which has seen senior leaders reassigned, forced into retirement, or subjected to polygraph exams. Some firings have targeted agents involved in politically sensitive cases, including the January 6 Capitol riot investigations and former Special Counsel Jack Smith's (pictured) prosecutions of Trump. The controversy deepened in February when thousands of bureau employees were ordered to complete questionnaires detailing any involvement in January 6 cases. Weeks later, then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered a list of all current and former personnel connected to those investigations, sparking fears the data would be used to identify and remove them. The FBI Agents Association has condemned the firings, warning that 'firing agents without due process will make the country less safe.' 'There is a review process when employment actions are taken against Agents. FBI leadership committed - both publicly and directly to FBIAA - that they would abide by that process. We urge them to honor that commitment and follow the law,' the group added. The group urged bureau leadership to honor the review process 'so that the FBI could remain independent and apolitical.' The FBI, Patel, and Bongino have declined to comment on the dismissals or the accusations in the Steady State letter. Trump, asked earlier this year if his administration planned to remove employees tied to January 6 probes, called the FBI 'corrupt' and said Patel would 'straighten it out,' but did not answer directly.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Dire warning issued by former officials after Kash Patel's 'purge' of FBI
A coalition of former FBI, intelligence, diplomatic, and national security officials has accused FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino of orchestrating a political 'purge' of the bureau. In an extraordinary open letter the group said that the mass firings of senior agents threaten the FBI's independence and could turn it into a 'personal enforcement arm of a political figure.' The letter, signed by members of a group calling itself The Steady State, comes after Patel and Bongino abruptly fired several high-ranking officials last week. They included former Acting Director Brian Driscoll, Washington Field Office chief Steven Jensen, and veteran agents Walter Giardina and Michael Feinberg. All were told to clear their desks by Friday. 'It is not about reform. It is about control,' the group wrote. 'The aim, it seems, is to transform the FBI from a respected, constitutionally grounded investigative service into a personal enforcement arm of a political figure… We have seen these dynamics abroad - leaders who demand loyalty from security services not to the law, but to themselves. These regimes do not end well.' The statement accused the Trump administration of installing Patel and Bongino in leadership despite 'not having resumes that meet the basic standards' to run what it called 'the world's premier law enforcement agency.' The officials said the agents were targeted for not showing personal loyalty to President Donald Trump, calling the FBI's independence 'a democratic necessity.' From bureau veterans to sudden targets The firings landed hardest on officials with deep experience in national security, counterterrorism, and high-profile investigations. Driscoll, a veteran of the bureau's Hostage Rescue Team and a former leader of its Critical Incident Response Group, served as acting director after Christopher Wray's departure and was regarded inside the bureau as a hero having resisted Trump administration demands to turn over the names of agents who worked on January 6 investigations. The Justice Department's former Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who has since been confirmed to serve as an appellate court judge, accused Driscoll and former FBI Acting Deputy Director Robert Kissane of insubordination, after they tried to fend off his efforts to collect a list of the names of all those people. He said the requests were meant to 'permit the Justice Department to conduct a review of those particular agents' conduct pursuant to Trump's executive order' on 'weaponization' in the Biden administration. Responding to Bove's request, the FBI provided personnel details about several thousand employees, identifying them by unique employee numbers rather than by names. Driscoll, nicknamed 'The Drizz,' told his colleagues in a farewell message on Thursday that he was given no explanation for his removal. 'I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I have no answers,' Driscoll told colleagues in a farewell email. 'No cause has been articulated at this time. Please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you.' He wrote: 'Our collective sacrifice for those we serve is, and will always be, worth it. I regret nothing. You are my heroes and I remain in your debt.' Jensen, who oversaw the Washington Field Office - one of the bureau's busiest - was told his termination would be effective immediately. 'I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity and dignity,' he wrote in his own farewell note. 'Never waver in your resolve to answer the call to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution,' he added. Giardina, who worked on cases involving Trump aide Peter Navarro, and Feinberg, who has said he faced retaliation over his friendship with former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok, were also shown the door. Giardina had been recently targeted by Republican Senator Charles Grassley for his involvement in several Trump-related cases. Numerous senior officials including top agents in charge of big-city field offices have been pushed out of their jobs, and some agents have been subjected to polygraph exams, moves that former officials say have roiled the workforce and contributed to angst. Former Las Vegas Special Agent-in-Charge Spencer Evans was also told to leave on Friday. Numerous special agents in charge of field offices have been told to retire, resign or accept reassignment. In April the bureau also reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. The Steady State's letter painted the dismissals as part of a broader campaign to dismantle the FBI's 'long-standing independence' and replace it with political loyalty tests. 'The FBI has long been a bulwark against such corruption… Its independence is not a bureaucratic feature; it is a democratic necessity,' the letter read. They urged remaining agents to hold the line: 'The nation is watching, and will be inspired by the FBI. And history will remember.' Former FBI agent Phil Kennedy, an outspoken critic of the current leadership, posted the letter on social media and referred to the firings as 'the recent FBI purge,' calling it a 'Bureau bloodbath.' The mass terminations are the latest wave in a months-long shakeup under Patel and Bongino, which has seen senior leaders reassigned, forced into retirement, or subjected to polygraph exams. Some firings have targeted agents involved in politically sensitive cases, including the January 6 Capitol riot investigations and former Special Counsel Jack Smith's prosecutions of Trump. The controversy deepened in February when thousands of bureau employees were ordered to complete questionnaires detailing any involvement in January 6 cases. Weeks later, then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered a list of all current and former personnel connected to those investigations, sparking fears the data would be used to identify and remove them. The FBI Agents Association has condemned the firings, warning that 'firing agents without due process will make the country less safe.' 'There is a review process when employment actions are taken against Agents. FBI leadership committed - both publicly and directly to FBIAA - that they would abide by that process. We urge them to honor that commitment and follow the law,' the group added. The group urged bureau leadership to honor the review process 'so that the FBI could remain independent and apolitical.' The FBI, Patel, and Bongino have declined to comment on the dismissals or the accusations in the Steady State letter. Trump, asked earlier this year if his administration planned to remove employees tied to January 6 probes, called the FBI 'corrupt' and said Patel would 'straighten it out,' but did not answer directly.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Ex-government officials pen letter blasting Kash Patel's FBI 'purge'
A group of former FBI, intelligence, diplomatic and national security officials released a letter blasting FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for firing several bureau agents, saying they were targeted for not being loyal to President Trump. The group, which dubs itself The Steady State, claims Agents Brian Driscoll, Michael Feinberg and Walter Giardina were fired as part of a campaign to dismantle the FBI's "long-standing independence" while also setting it up as a "tool of political loyalty." The Steady State also claimed the agents were canned because they were not loyal to President Donald Trump, before accusing the administration of appointing Patel and Bongino to powerful roles despite not having resumes that meet the "basic standards" to lead the "world's premiere law enforcement agency." "It is not about reform. It is about control. The aim, it seems, is to transform the FBI from a respected, constitutionally grounded investigative service into a personal enforcement arm of a political figure," the letter reads. "We have seen these dynamics abroad—leaders who demand loyalty from security services not to the law, but to themselves. These regimes do not end well." "The FBI has long been a bulwark against such corruption: an institution where rule of law and civil liberties are held in balance with the demands of national security," the letter continued. "Its independence is not a bureaucratic feature; it is a democratic necessity." The Steady State told their friends and colleagues in the FBI that they recognize the pressure they are under. "The nation is watching, and will be inspired by the FBI. And history will remember," the letter concluded. Last Thursday, the FBI ousted Driscoll, the former FBI acting director, as well as others, including Giardina, a special agent at the FBI who played a role in the investigation of Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro. Also let go was Steve Jensen, the acting director in charge of the Washington Field Office. Driscoll, for his part, served as acting director of the FBI prior to the confirmation of Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations. Senior FBI officials told the trio they needed to leave by Friday. The FBI, Bongino and Patel declined to comment on Fox News Digital's questions about The Steady State's claims and on reasons why the agents were removed from their positions. MSNBC journalist Ken Dilanian shared on social media a copy of the letter from Patel to Giardina. "This document provides official notice that you are being summarily dismissed from your position at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and removed from the federal service, under my authority as the FBI Director, effective immediately," Patel wrote. You have exercised poor judgment and a lack of impartiality in carrying out duties, leading to the political weaponization of the government." Former FBI Agent Phil Kennedy, who has been vocal on social media regarding the new regime's handling of personnel matters, shared The Steady State's letter, referring to the firings as the recent FBI "purge." "Walter Giardina, the disgraced anti-Trump Agent who worked on Jack Smith's documents case with Kash's pilot, has reportedly been terminated by the FBI," Kennedy wrote in another post. "It's a Bureau bloodbath." News of the agents' firings comes months after thousands of FBI personnel in February were ordered to fill out a questionnaire asking detailed questions about possible roles in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots. The questionnaire, first reported by Fox News Digital, sparked concern that it could be used to retaliate against agents involved in the January 6 investigations. Those concerns reached a fever pitch later that month, after then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the bureau to compile a list of all current and former personnel who worked on January 6 cases. The Trump administration has not yet said whether it will move to act against the individuals involved. In February, President Trump declined to answer questions over whether his administration would remove FBI employees involved in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, telling reporters only that he believes the bureau is "corrupt" and that then-FBI director nominee, Patel, would "straighten it out."
