Latest news with #WalterGiardina
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: Trump admin fires top FBI officials
The Trump administration has reportedly dismissed multiple top FBI officials, according to several sources. Brian Driscoll, who served as acting director of the agency before Kash Patel took over, was one of those told to leave the agency, Fox News reports. Walter Giardina, a special agent who investigated Trump advisor Peter Navarro and Steven Jensen, the acting director of the FBI 's Washington Field Office, were also forced out, sources told the outlet. Jensen reportedly played a role in the department's January 6 investigations. Giardina was also involved in probing many matters related to Trump and has been accused by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, of being politicized against the president. 'Whistleblowers allege the following of Special Agent (SA) Walter Giardina, who played a significant role in the investigation and prosecution of Trump advisor, as well as, Crossfire Hurricane, Special Counsel Mueller's investigation, and the Dan Scavino, Roger Stone and Hillary Clinton cases,' Grassley's office wrote in a June press release. 'Giardina was an initial recipient of the Steele Dossier and falsely said that the report was corroborated as true,' it claimed. 'Giardina stated openly his animosity toward President Trump and made known his personal motivation to investigate Trump.' One official with knowledge of the firings told Fox News the removals were 'retribution.' The three senior FBI officials were reportedly told to leave the agency by Friday, though they were not given specifics as to why. The FBI did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. Before Trump retook office, the FBI was involved in investigating a slew of cases against the president. The department probed the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The FBI has also probed Trump's role in the January 6 Capitol riot and even raided the Republican's Florida home Mar-a-Lago during an investigation into whether he improperly handled classified documents. The 'retribution' comment underscores the administration's desire to push back against those who previously persecuted the president. In June, the FBI forced out another batch of agents, including Michael Feinberg, Spencer Evans and Stanley Meador. Feinberg was a top official in the agency's Norfolk, Virginia, office, and the latter two ran FBI field offices in Las Vegas and Richmond, Virginia.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll and other officials pushed out, sources say
Brian Driscoll, who briefly served as acting director of the FBI in the early days of the second Trump administration, is being pushed out of the agency, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. Driscoll must vacate his current role at the agency's Washington field office by Friday, the sources said. The same goes for Steve Jensen, assistant director in charge of the agency's Washington field office. Sources familiar with the matter said that an agent named Walter Giardina, who was involved in previous investigations related to President Trump, is also being pushed out. It was not immediately clear why Driscoll and Jensen are being terminated. At least one other FBI official has been ousted, sources said. Driscoll, who has been awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and the FBI Shield of Bravery, was thrust into the limelight this year when he was briefly named to head the nation's largest federal law enforcement agency. He served a month in that position while Kash Patel's nomination to serve as director was under consideration by the Senate. During his brief tenure as acting director, Driscoll recorded a speech lauding the FBI's agents for their work combating drug trafficking and violent crime. "You've heard the FBI always gets its man, but our work is never done," Driscoll said. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump starts firing purge of top FBI agents opposed to his administration as they decry 'retribution'
The Trump administration has reportedly dismissed multiple top FBI officials, according to several sources. Brian Driscoll, who served as acting director of the agency before Kash Patel took over, was one of those told to leave the agency, Fox News reports. Walter Giardina, a special agent who investigated Trump advisor Peter Navarro and Steven Jensen, the acting director of the FBI 's Washington Field Office, were also forced out, sources told the outlet. Jensen reportedly played a role in the department's January 6 investigations. Giardina was also involved in probing many matters related to Trump and has been accused by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, of being politicized against the president. 'Whistleblowers allege the following of Special Agent (SA) Walter Giardina, who played a significant role in the investigation and prosecution of Trump advisor, as well as, Crossfire Hurricane, Special Counsel Mueller's investigation, and the Dan Scavino, Roger Stone and Hillary Clinton cases,' Grassley's office wrote in a June press release. 'Giardina was an initial recipient of the Steele Dossier and falsely said that the report was corroborated as true,' it claimed. 'Giardina stated openly his animosity toward President Trump and made known his personal motivation to investigate Trump.' One official with knowledge of the firings told Fox News the removals were 'retribution.' The three senior FBI officials were reportedly told to leave the agency by Friday, though they were not given specifics as to why. The FBI did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
FBI ousts former acting director, agent involved in J6 prosecutions, with more expected
The FBI on Thursday is ousting at least three officials, including the former acting director and an officer involved in the January 6 investigations, Fox News has learned. Former FBI acting director, Brian Driscoll, is among those being forced out of the bureau, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News, along with Walter Giardina, a special agent at the bureau who played a role in the investigation of Trump trade advisor, Peter Navarro, and Steven 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 FBI Director Kash Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations. Senior FBI officials told the agents in question that they needed to leave by Friday, with no specific reason given to them individually. One individual with knowledge of the removals described it as "retribution." The FBI did not respond to Fox News's request for comment. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Administration Forces Out F.B.I. Officials
The F.B.I. is forcing out at least two agents, including a former acting head of the bureau, as the director, Kash Patel, continues a purge at the nation's premier law enforcement agency, according to several people familiar with the matter. Brian Driscoll, who served a brief and tumultuous tenure as the acting director in the early days of the Trump administration, was among those being told to leave by Friday, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe personnel decisions that have not yet been made public. The reason for Mr. Driscoll's ouster was not entirely clear, but his removal will most likely deal another blow to the morale of the organization, which has faced intense scrutiny after conducting investigations that President Trump's supporters have denounced. Mr. Driscoll had become an unlikely champion of the bureau in the early days of the new administration. He was accidentally catapulted to the director's chair during the transition, where he fought off what was seen as a possible purge of F.B.I. agents who had worked on the investigation into the Capitol attack. Another agent being pushed out is Walter Giardina, who was involved in a number of investigations related to Mr. Trump, including a case that sent the trade adviser Peter Navarro to prison. The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, has criticized Mr. Giardina for what whistle-blowers have claimed is anti-Trump bias. It was not immediately clear if the administration intended to remove other F.B.I. employees who had been targeted by Trump supporters. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
