By Steve Neavling
A top Justice Department official assured FBI agents they wouldn’t be fired for working on Jan. 6 investigations and accused bureau leaders of insubordination for initially refusing to release their names.
In a memo to staff Wednesday, Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove addressed concerns that agents could face retaliation, Reuters reports.
“Let me be clear: No FBI employee who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner with respect to January 6 investigations is at risk of termination or other penalties,” Bove wrote. “The only individuals who should be concerned … are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent.”
The Justice Department is set to face off in court Thursday against FBI employees suing to keep the identities of agents who investigated Trump supporters in the Capitol riot confidential. The lawsuits claim up to 6,000 FBI personnel were involved.
Bove said he requested the names of agents only after the FBI’s acting leadership refused to provide a list of core Washington-based investigators. That refusal, he said, led him to demand a broader list.
On Jan. 31, Bove fired eight top FBI officials and ordered the names of all employees who worked on the cases. The FBI turned over a list Tuesday but used employee numbers instead of names.
The bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
