Problems keep piling up for FBI Director Kash Patel, who is now facing another legal controversy this week. Twelve former FBI agents have joined in a lawsuit against Patel, accusing him of unlawfully firing them.
Patel dismissed a group of former agents earlier this year for kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest in the nation’s capital. The lawsuit—filed anonymously by nine women and three men—lists Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants.
In their complaint, the agents recounted what happened during the protest that led them to kneel.
BREAKING: FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 George Floyd protests. Under Director Kash Patel, ~20 agents, including veterans, are out, reversing a prior no-violation ruling. pic.twitter.com/eHXB5nNSWt
— 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐇 (@pr0ud_americans) September 27, 2025
On May 25, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparking national outrage and racial justice protests. Less than two weeks later, on June 4, the FBI agents were confronted by an angry crowd. According to the lawsuit, the agents were deployed without “training, protective gear, or less-than-lethal munitions that would enable them to engage in crowd control.”
They said the crowd included both hostile individuals and families with young children, and the agents made the “tactical decision” to take a knee.
“Responding to the dangerous situation they were facing, Plaintiffs avoided triggering violence by assuming a kneeling posture associated with de-escalation between law enforcement officers and their communities during this period of national unrest,” they added.
The lawsuit claims that their “de-escalation response was immediately successful,” and that once they knelt, the crowd moved on without becoming violent.
The plaintiffs said the FBI and the Justice Department reviewed their actions at the time and cleared them. However, five years later, after Donald Trump returned to office, the agents were dismissed and accused of “unprofessional conduct and a lack of impartiality in carrying out duties, leading to the political weaponization of government.”
🚨 #BREAKINGNEWS Former FBI agents are suing FBI Director Kash Patel for unlawful termination and for political retribution and attacks. The FBI agents fired for taking a knee during civil unrest in the country. 🚨
— Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) December 8, 2025
This isn’t the only lawsuit filed against Kash Patel. A few weeks ago, David Maltinsky, who worked for the FBI for 16 years and was in training, said he was fired for displaying a Pride flag on his desk.
Patel wrote in his termination letter, “I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment at the Los Angeles Field Office. Pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, your employment with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is hereby terminated,” according to CBS News.
ALERT: Longtime FBI employee files federal civil lawsuit against Justice Dept and FBi Director Kash Patel
Employee argues he was fired for displaying a Pride flag
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— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) November 19, 2025
Moreover, the FBI Director has been accused of misusing the FBI’s resources for personal reasons. The controversy erupted after he was accused of flying on an FBI jet to attend his girlfriend’s performance. He later made headlines after reportedly deploying a SWAT team to protect her.
It remains unclear how Patel is navigating multiple scandals at once, amid repeated accusations that he made decisions solely to appease President Donald Trump.
