Three senior FBI officials, Brian Driscoll, Steve Jensen, and Spencer Evans, filed a federal lawsuit against FBI Director Kash Patel and others, claiming they were illegally fired as part of a politically motivated purge influenced by the Trump administration.
The lawsuit argues that these firings aimed to remove agents involved in investigations related to President Donald Trump, and also impacted the law enforcement agency’s integrity and national security.
The complaint reveals that Kash Patel told Brian Driscoll, one of the fired agents, that he knew the terminations were “likely illegal” but felt he had no choice. Patel allegedly said, “The FBI tried to put the president in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”
This admission came in a conversation shortly before Driscoll was dismissed. The lawsuit shows Patel as a director who, despite understanding the legal risks, prioritized political pressure from the White House and the Justice Department over the FBI’s mission of public safety.
The fired officials accuse Patel of caving to political pressure to protect his position rather than uphold the law. The suit states, “Patel not only acted unlawfully but deliberately chose to prioritize politicizing the FBI over protecting the American people.”
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According to the lawsuit, the firings were part of a broader campaign of retribution against FBI agents perceived as disloyal to Trump. Driscoll, Jensen, and Evans were among five agents dismissed last month, leading to unrest within the agency.
The plaintiffs had decades of experience and supervised complex investigations. As attorney Christopher Mattei mentioned, their removal deprived the FBI not only of role models but also of vital operational expertise.
The complaint targets multiple defendants, including Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the Executive Office of the President. It argues that leadership at the highest levels was behind the purge, undermining the FBI’s independence by allowing political affiliations to dictate personnel actions.
UPDATE: In the lawsuit, three senior FBI officials fired by Kash Patel say Patel informed them that he was instructed to “fire anyone” who worked on any investigation related to Trump. And said his own job depended on carrying out the firings. https://t.co/a4Cezo5JOV pic.twitter.com/jkslq4q5YT
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 10, 2025
Besides seeking reinstatement, the lawsuit requests back pay, a court declaration that the firings were illegal, and a chance for the agents to clear their names. Patel had publicly defended the firings in a Fox News interview, claiming all who weaponized the FBI had been removed from leadership roles.
However, the suit counters that none of the three officials were proven to have politicized their work. It states, “This false and defamatory public smear impugned the professional reputation of each of the Plaintiffs, suggesting they were something other than faithful and apolitical law enforcement officials.”
Each dismissed official faced separate circumstances tied to their FBI roles. Brian Driscoll alleges he was fired after challenging Patel’s decision to remove another agent. Steve Jensen’s termination followed his involvement in investigations connected to the January 6 Capitol attack. Spencer Evans was reportedly put on leave and then fired after his participation in approving COVID-19 vaccination for FBI staff.
BREAKING: Corrupt MAGA Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel get hit with a massive lawsuit as three former top Bureau officials sue them for improperly firing them to please Donald Trump.
These MAGA hacks are not above the law…
The lawsuit alleges that Patel… pic.twitter.com/K4h1CTHbR2
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) September 10, 2025
The lawsuit identifies the terminations as more than routine personnel changes. It describes them as retaliatory and illegal actions that stripped the FBI of decades of law enforcement experience, thus harming national security. The suit reads, “His decision to do so degraded the country’s national security by firing three of the FBI’s most experienced operational leaders.”
FBI officials declined to comment on the lawsuit, maintaining silence as they did after the agents’ dismissals became public. The case is being heard in a federal court in Washington, a jurisdiction known for resisting some Trump administration policies.
