In a significant development, a dozen former FBI agents have initiated a federal civil lawsuit in Washington, D.C., seeking to reclaim their positions. These agents assert that they were wrongfully terminated during the second Trump administration due to their actions in 2020 aimed at preventing a riot in response to the tragic killing of George Floyd. The lawsuit claims that their dismissals were influenced by political bias and a lack of support from the Justice Department.
The former agents, who are referred to as Jane and John Does for privacy reasons, contend that they were unlawfully fired by the Justice Department earlier this year. They allege that their termination was a direct result of kneeling in solidarity during a protest in June 2020, shortly after Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. According to the lawsuit, FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other officials within the FBI and the Justice Department acted on the belief that the agents held anti-Trump sentiments.
The lawsuit meticulously details the actions taken by these agents on June 4, 2020, when they were patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C. Faced with a volatile crowd that included both hostile individuals and families with children, the agents made the tactical decision to kneel. This decision was intended to de-escalate a potentially dangerous confrontation and prevent any physical altercations between the crowd and law enforcement. The lawsuit states that the agents lacked adequate equipment for managing civil unrest, such as riot shields and gas masks, which further complicated their ability to perform crowd control effectively.
The agents were deployed with the understanding that their presence was necessary to maintain law and order, wearing vests marked 'FBI' and carrying their firearms. However, they were reportedly not given proper training or instructions for handling crowd control scenarios. The lawsuit highlights that their action of kneeling contributed to a peaceful resolution, allowing the crowd to disperse without escalating into violence.
Mary Dohrmann, the attorney representing the former agents, voiced concerns regarding the internal processes of the FBI, stating, "Internal FBI processes are being subverted in a way that makes us all less safe." In response to the lawsuit, an FBI spokesperson mentioned that the bureau does not comment on ongoing litigation and had previously refrained from discussing the terminations reported by CBS News in September.
The civil lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, features former agents with extensive experience in counterterrorism and law enforcement. Among them, Plaintiff Jane Doe 5 claims she was removed from her position as Deputy Assistant Director for Counterintelligence at FBI Headquarters under the direction of Kash Patel, specifically due to her decision to kneel on June 4, 2020. The case argues that Patel's actions were driven by partisan bias rather than a fair assessment of the events that transpired that day.
This 47-page civil lawsuit is part of a larger trend, as multiple former FBI agents have accused Patel of engaging in political retribution within the agency. Notably, former FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll has also filed a federal civil lawsuit contesting his own termination. Additionally, a group of FBI agents facing scrutiny for their involvement in the Capitol riot investigation has similarly initiated legal action to challenge the circumstances surrounding that investigation.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the FBI and its internal policies, particularly regarding political bias and the treatment of agents who express dissenting views during highly charged political climates.