FBI Ousts Former Acting Director in Escalating Trump-Era Purge

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is forcing out at least two senior officials, including former acting director Brian Driscoll, according to reports by the New York Times and CNN. Driscoll told colleagues he was informed that 8 August would be his final day at the bureau and said no reason was given for his dismissal. CNN added that acting Washington Field Office chief Steve Jensen is also being removed, while the Times named veteran investigator Walter Giardina among those told to leave. The shake-up follows earlier removals of several executive-level officials since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January. Driscoll had clashed with political appointees after refusing to provide a list of agents who worked on the January 6 Capitol-riot cases and declining to discipline FBI pilot-agent Christopher Meyer. His stance, and the administration’s subsequent loyalty reviews of thousands of employees, have heightened concern that the White House is targeting personnel involved in investigations touching on Trump or his allies. Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the continuing ouster of “experienced, non-partisan FBI agents” alarming. The FBI Agents Association said it is reviewing legal options to defend members dismissed “without due process.” The bureau’s press office declined to comment. The latest departures deepen unease inside the FBI as Director Kash Patel, confirmed in February, contends with pressure from the administration to reshape the agency. Critics warn the firings risk eroding the bureau’s independence at a time when it is handling multiple politically sensitive inquiries involving the president and his supporters.