Three former FBI officials have taken their fight to federal court, alleging they were illegally purged from the bureau under pressure from the Trump administration. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Washington, claims FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed them not because of performance but because they had overseen politically sensitive cases touching Donald Trump. According to the filing, Patel admitted privately that the firings were “likely illegal” but said his own job depended on carrying out orders from the White House and Justice Department to remove agents involved in investigations of the former president.
The plaintiffs—Brian Driscoll, Steve Jensen, and Spencer Evans—are veteran agents with decades of experience in counterterrorism, violent crime reduction, and crisis response. They describe their removal as a “campaign of retribution” that has not only smeared their reputations but also weakened the FBI’s operational strength at a time of mounting national security threats. Their complaint argues that Patel’s decision to prioritise politics over professionalism has “degraded the country’s national security” by stripping the bureau of seasoned leaders whose expertise was central to preventing attacks and managing crises.
Driscoll, perhaps the most prominent of the three, once served as acting FBI director after Christopher Wray’s resignation earlier this year. A former commander of the bureau’s elite hostage rescue team, he had clashed with Trump-era Justice Department officials over demands to identify agents who investigated the January 6 Capitol attack. He later oversaw the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group but came under fire when an FBI pilot under his command was falsely linked online to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe. According to the lawsuit, Driscoll resisted pressure to fire the pilot, Chris Meyer, but was punished for it when Meyer—and eventually Driscoll himself—were terminated.
Jensen, another plaintiff, had been tapped by Patel to lead the bureau’s Washington field office despite backlash from Trump allies over his past role coordinating the Capitol riot investigation. The suit says Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino admitted they were spending “political capital” to keep him in position, but Jensen was eventually targeted after refusing to dismiss agents tied to Trump-related inquiries. Evans, meanwhile, says his dismissal was rooted in personal vendettas tied to his role enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates as head of the FBI’s Human Resources Division. Though initially reassured he had leadership’s support, he was abruptly fired in August while preparing for reassignment, accused of “overzealousness” in enforcing protocols he insists he applied fairly.
The lawsuit names Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the Executive Office of the President as defendants. It seeks reinstatement, back pay, a ruling declaring the firings unlawful, and a chance for the agents to clear their names. It also accuses Patel of defaming them during a Fox News interview, where he claimed “every single person” who weaponized the bureau had been removed, a statement the plaintiffs argue wrongly painted them as partisan actors rather than apolitical law enforcement professionals.
Attorneys for the men argue the case demonstrates that FBI leadership has been bent to political will, eroding public trust and endangering the bureau’s ability to function independently. Chris Mattei, one of their lawyers, warned that the ousters left “every American at greater risk,” while Abbe Lowell said the firings showed Patel was “carrying out political orders to punish agents for doing their jobs.” The FBI itself has declined to comment.
At its core, the case paints a troubling portrait of an agency caught between its mission and the demands of a White House determined to root out perceived enemies. If the allegations hold, the firings not only mark a turning point for the careers of three decorated agents but could reshape the public perception of the FBI as a politically neutral institution.
