FBI Leaders Fired Over January 6 Coverup in Trump ‘Purge’
In what insiders are calling a long-overdue housecleaning at the FBI, President Donald J. Trump’s administration has dismissed three high-ranking Bureau officials — all of whom were directly involved in the politically charged investigation of the January 6 Capitol riot.
According to the New York Times, the officials — Brian Driscoll, Steven Jensen, and Walter Giardina — were informed this week that their employment had been terminated. The move underscores the administration’s broader effort to root out insubordination, leaks, and politically motivated bias that have plagued the FBI since the Trump-Russia era.
Driscoll, a 20-year veteran who briefly served as acting FBI director early in President Trump’s second term, confirmed his dismissal in a message to staff.
“Last night I was informed that tomorrow will be my last day in the FBI,” he wrote. “I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I currently have no answers.”
Driscoll reportedly resisted orders from top DOJ officials to hand over a comprehensive list of FBI personnel tied to January 6 investigations — a move seen by some as an attempt to protect agents from political targeting. In a prior memo, he had warned, “This request encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts. I am one of those employees.”
His farewell note to colleagues was defiant:
“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.”
Steven Jensen, the recently appointed head of the Washington Field Office, was also dismissed. His office played a pivotal role in the Capitol riot investigations — efforts many conservatives have denounced as a politically driven “witch hunt.”
In a farewell letter dated August 8, Jensen wrote:
“I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity, and dignity.”
“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 removal is seen by many in Washington as a strategic reshaping of the Bureau under FBI Director Kash Patel, a trusted Trump ally leading internal accountability reforms.
The third official, Walter Giardina, had ties to the Mueller investigation and played a role in the controversial arrest of former Trump adviser Peter Navarro — an arrest Navarro and his attorneys blasted as politically motivated and unnecessarily aggressive. Navarro famously described Giardina and another agent as “kind Nazis.”
The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings, 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, including Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), predictably cried foul, calling the dismissals “a disturbing pattern of retaliation and politicization.” But supporters of President Trump argue that the moves are a necessary step to restore trust in a Bureau long accused of corruption and partisanship.
Just weeks ago, U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb rejected an attempt by anonymous FBI employees to preemptively block potential retaliation, calling their fears “too speculative.” That ruling effectively cleared the way for the administration to proceed with internal discipline.
With more firings rumored to come, the message from the Trump administration could not be clearer: the era of politically protected bureaucrats at the FBI is over. Accountability, long demanded by the American people, has finally arrived.