Nine anonymous FBI officials who worked on investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the classified documents case at Mar-a-Lago have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from compiling a list of officials involved in these high-profile cases, arguing that such a move could lead to retaliation and security risks.
Agents Warn of National Security Concerns
The plaintiffs claim the DOJ’s actions amount to an “unlawful” and “retaliatory” purge, raising alarms about potential misuse of the information.
“Should this information fall into the wrong hands, the national security of the United States would be severely compromised,” the lawsuit states.
Beyond job security, the agents fear broader professional consequences, alleging they could face demotions, lost promotions or blocked career opportunities as a result of their past investigative work.
NEW: FBI officials have filed a class action lawsuit aiming to block the identification of agents who worked on Jan. 6 / Mar-a-Lago cases.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 4, 2025
w/ @joshgerstein https://t.co/4ibpPToWKe pic.twitter.com/Ve01APoIpv
The New York Times has additional details:
The lawsuits came in response to a demand by Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, that the F.B.I. compile and turn over a list of everyone who worked on those cases. That group, the lawsuits estimated, could number as many as 6,000 agents.
The lawsuits said that the agents believed the administration intended to reveal their identities, exposing the agents and their families to profound danger. They seek court orders prohibiting the executive branch from releasing the names.
The Trump administration has not said it intends to release the identities of the law enforcement officials, but its demand for names of people who worked on the cases has stoked the belief that it may move to fire them en masse. At the Justice Department, prosecutors who have worked on cases involving President Trump or the Jan. 6 rioters have been dismissed. The lawsuits on Tuesday appear to be putting down a marker that could expand into a challenge to any mass firings if they happen.
“It is clear that the threatened disclosure is a prelude to an unlawful purge of the F.B.I. driven solely by the Trump administration’s vengeful and political motivations,” Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association, said in a statement. “Releasing the names of these agents would ignite a firestorm of harassment towards them and their families, and it must be stopped immediately.”
DOJ Under Scrutiny
The lawsuit marks a significant legal challenge to the administration’s handling of federal law enforcement personnel, particularly those involved in the cases against President Trump. Critics warn that the creation of such a list could pave the way for politically motivated employment retaliation, a concern that has gained traction, especially on the left, amid ongoing debates over government oversight and accountability.
A key element of the case is a DOJ questionnaire, which the plaintiffs say was distributed to thousands of FBI officials, asking them to disclose their involvement in Jan. 6 and Trump-related investigations. The lawsuit argues this effort could set a dangerous precedent for targeting law enforcement officials based on past casework.
The lawsuit includes a screenshot of the questionnaire that thousands of FBI officials were asked to fill out. https://t.co/GQ5quOVTCE pic.twitter.com/S3poFYwVbs
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 4, 2025
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These nasty accursed f b I punks need PRISON TIME ASAP
No need to publicize their names to the general public, but their personnel files should indicate that they were terminated for political activity in violation of the Hatch Act. Of course, if their actions violated Trump’s or any other defendant’s civil rights, they should be prosecuted for Conspiracy Against Rights under 18 USC 241 and/or Deprivation of Rights under 18 USC 242.
It would have been a normal part of discovery so they must have something to hide. It’s time for the day of reckoning and now the wimps want to hide. Screw them they need to be held accountable to the President and to the American People.
I hope Trump goes deep and cracks open Waco and Ruby Ridge and more recently the cold blooded MURDER of the two old army vets. All f b i brutality.