FBI Director Kash Patel removed several senior bureau officials this week, including leaders in major field offices. Critics say these actions are retaliation against personnel linked to past investigations involving President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg Law reported that these moves impacted at least a dozen officials and agents. This included the newly appointed acting head of the FBI’s New York field office, a former Washington leader involved with January 6-related work, and Miami agents connected to the classified documents investigation at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
According to Bloomberg Law, Patel placed Vanessa Tibbits, the acting assistant director in charge of the New York field office, on administrative leave just weeks after she took on the role. Tibbits, a 20-year FBI veteran, previously served as a senior adviser to former FBI Director Christopher Wray, the report noted.
The FBI also removed the special agent in charge of its Atlanta office, sources familiar with the personnel changes told Bloomberg Law. The report mentioned two officials who led the New Orleans field office during scrutiny related to the Bourbon Street attack on January 1, 2025, were also pushed out. One of them, Lyonel Myrthil, had previously worked in Washington as an assistant special agent in charge and oversaw part of the FBI’s response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to Bloomberg Law.
An FBI representative declined to comment, Bloomberg Law said.
MS NOW first reported the recent wave of departures, detailing Patel’s order to remove senior agents and field office leaders linked to past Trump-related investigations. A summary from Yahoo News highlighted that the changes affected senior figures with ties to investigations involving Trump.
Bloomberg Law reported that, in some instances, the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility had suggested discipline less severe than termination, such as brief suspensions. However, Patel overruled those suggestions and removed employees anyway, according to two individuals familiar with the internal process.
These new personnel changes come after earlier leadership shifts within the bureau during Trump’s second term. The administration has claimed it is restoring accountability and ending what it calls biased law enforcement. Reuters previously reported that Trump publicly supported Patel after a separate MS NOW report in November suggested Trump had considered removing him, a claim the White House denied at that time.
Some former FBI officials dismissed in earlier actions have filed lawsuits, claiming unlawful termination and politically motivated treatment, Bloomberg Law reported.
The latest removals also occurred while former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House about his pursuit of two criminal cases against Trump. This development adds to the political sensitivity surrounding personnel decisions affecting agents who worked on prominent cases.
Patel, a longtime Trump ally, has faced ongoing criticism from Democrats and former Justice Department officials. They argue the administration is using personnel powers to reshape federal law enforcement in ways that benefit the president. Supporters maintain that changes in leadership are needed after years of investigations they consider partisan.
The FBI has not publicly released a list of affected officials. Reporting on these decisions relied on unnamed sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to discuss personnel matters.
