Mon Feb 03 15:00:00 UTC 2025: **Acting FBI Director Defies DOJ Order to Fire Jan. 6 Investigators**

WASHINGTON — Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll defied a Justice Department order to dismiss eight senior FBI executives and provide a list of thousands of agents involved in the January 6th Capitol riot investigation, sources told NBC News. The order, reportedly issued by Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, a former personal lawyer for President Trump, sparked fears among FBI officials that Driscoll himself could be fired. However, Driscoll remained in his position.

Driscoll’s refusal comes just a day after President Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel, testified under oath to the Senate that no FBI officials would face political retaliation. Patel, a vocal critic of the bureau’s investigations into Trump and the January 6th rioters, pledged to protect all FBI employees.

The Justice Department’s memo, obtained by NBC News, identified the dismissed executives, including several top managers and field office heads. While some were eligible for retirement, others, like Spencer Evans, Special Agent in Charge in Las Vegas, were dismissed without explanation. Arlene Gaylord, a 33-year veteran, requested a reassignment and was reportedly accommodated.

Legal experts have raised concerns that these firings may violate civil service laws, arguing that the employees were not afforded due process. The Trump White House maintains that the President has the authority to fire anyone in the executive branch.

The actions have severely damaged morale within the FBI, with agents fearing retribution for investigating cases that displease the administration. One fired January 6th prosecutor, speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation, described the experience as “awful,” highlighting the dismissal of cases against violent offenders after the pardoning of rioters who attacked police officers.

The FBI and Justice Department declined to comment on the situation. While a senior FBI official disputed the accounts, multiple current and former officials corroborated the events described by NBC News. The implications of this power struggle remain to be seen, but the incident underscores the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and law enforcement agencies investigating the January 6th events.

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