This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article.
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The FBI Agents Association and anonymous employees of the law enforcement agency on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department over an agency directive to identify all current and former FBI personnel who worked on investigations relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Specifically, the nonprofit, which represents active and retired FBI agents, wants to block DOJ from releasing the names of such agents with a temporary restraining order, arguing “there is clear evidence the Justice Department intends to publicly disclose the names of employees it plans to demote, transfer or terminate — apparently as a form of retaliation and stigmatization.”
“FBI Special Agents who risk their lives protecting the country from criminals and terrorists are now being placed on lists and having their careers jeopardized simply for doing their jobs,” said FBIAA President Natalie Bara in a statement. “Exposing the names of FBI Agents and employees on these lists would put the safety of these individuals and their families at risk. Further, this reckless action would create a chilling effect within the law enforcement community and weaken the Bureau’s ability to combat criminal and national security threats.”
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who previously was a defense attorney for President Donald Trump, on Jan. 31 issued the memo, which Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., released on Tuesday, requesting such a list by noon on Tuesday.
That memo also ordered the firing of the FBI’s senior leadership team and the assistant director in charge of the Washington field office.
“I do not believe that the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully,” Bove wrote.
Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, has previously described the press, former Trump officials and Democratic lawmakers as the “deep state;” although, at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30 he said: “There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI.”
FBIAA said that in its meeting with Patel, he promised that “agents would not face retribution for carrying out their lawful duties,” but the group has expressed that publicly exposing employee names would contradict that commitment.
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