In a decisive shake-up aimed at restoring integrity at the nation’s top law enforcement agency, the Trump administration has removed three senior FBI officials tied to the Bureau’s politically charged January 6 investigation — a move insiders are calling a long-overdue purge of disloyal operatives.

Brian Driscoll, a 20-year FBI veteran and briefly the acting FBI director at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, was shown the door alongside Steven Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office, and Special Agent Walter Giardina. The firings were first reported by Politico.

Driscoll confirmed his ouster in an internal email obtained by NBC News, writing:

“Last night I was informed that tomorrow will be my last day in the FBI… I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers.”

Driscoll had previously clashed with Justice Department leadership after refusing to hand over a full roster of agents involved in the January 6 investigation. At the time, he warned in writing that the request would sweep up “thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts. I am one of those employees.”

In his farewell note, Driscoll praised his colleagues, saying:

“It has been the honor of my life to serve alongside each of you… I regret nothing. You are my heroes and I remain in your debt.”

Jensen — installed just four months ago to head the Washington Field Office, a command hub for the January 6 probe — also confirmed his termination in a letter dated August 8.

“I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity, and dignity,” Jensen wrote. “Never waver in your resolve to answer the call to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. Continue to be bold and aggressive in the pursuit of justice. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of each other. Be the FBI.”

Jensen’s tenure had drawn concern from Trump allies, who viewed him as an entrenched player in what they call the FBI’s yearslong January 6 “witch hunt.” His dismissal is seen as a signal that new FBI Director Kash Patel’s team has extracted what it needed from internal reviews — and is now moving to clean house.

The third official fired, Walter Giardina, had a track record that raised red flags with Trump supporters. He was involved in the now-discredited Mueller investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion and later participated in the controversial arrest of former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro — an arrest Navarro condemned as politically motivated, likening Giardina and another agent to “kind Nazis.”

The FBI Agents Association blasted the firings in a statement, claiming:

“Agents are not given the option to pick and choose their cases, and these Agents carried out their assignments with professionalism and integrity. Most importantly, they followed the law. If these Agents are fired without due process, it makes the American people less safe.”

Democrats wasted no time framing the action as political retribution. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) accused the administration of engaging in “a disturbing pattern of retaliation and politicization at an institution charged with safeguarding national security and the rule of law.”

The firings come just weeks after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb rejected an attempt by anonymous FBI officials to block potential retaliation tied to their roles in the January 6 investigation. Cobb called the atmosphere a “whirlwind of chaos and fear,” but said claims of imminent retaliation were “too speculative” to warrant court intervention.

With more dismissals rumored to be on the way, the Trump administration appears committed to sending a blunt warning to would-be internal saboteurs: If you undermine the mission, you will be shown the exit.