FBI fires at least 10 agents who worked on Trump classified documents probe

2026-02-26 - 07:12

At least 10 FBI employees who worked on former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents were fired on Wednesday, according to media reports. CBS News cited multiple sources confirming that all dismissed agents and analysts were involved in the probe examining Trump's retention of sensitive records after leaving the White House in 2021. Controversy and Condemnation The firings followed controversy surrounding the review of phone records linked to FBI Director Kash Patel and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles during the investigation, when both were private citizens. Patel alleged the FBI obtained his records "using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight." The FBI Agents Association condemned the dismissals, stating: "These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce... ultimately putting the nation at greater risk." Political Context Patel has faced criticism for firing agents involved in lawful Trump investigations despite promising during confirmation hearings not to politicize the agency. Smith's investigations produced the first federal criminal indictments against a former US president, though the classified documents case was dismissed in 2024, and election-related charges were dropped after Trump's election victory—as such cases against sitting presidents cannot proceed. Smith had stated that had they gone forward, the cases would likely have resulted in conviction.