By Allan Lengel
The FBI Agents Association, which represents more than 14,000 active and retired agents, informed its members on Wednesday that it sent a biting letter last week to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, criticizing FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Our message was clear: the recent terminations of FBI Special Agents conducted by Director Patel are unacceptable,” the FBIAA said in a message emailed to members. “We sent this letter because the Director carried out these terminations without communication, explanation, or due process.
“Director Patel committed to providing fair treatment and due process and pledged to ‘honor the internal review process of the FBI’ in all employment actions,” the message said. ” He has failed to honor that commitment.”
“These terminations, which disregard established law and procedure, threaten to undermine the vital work Special Agents perform and create serious national security risk,” the message said. “In the letter, we made it clear to Congress that firing Agents over the cases they are assigned to shatters morale, erodes the chain of command structure, and undermines unity within the FBI. These actions create distractions and, ultimately, could make our country less safe. As a result, we have called upon Congress to use its full oversight authority to ensure these employment actions comply with the law.”
Here’s the full letter to Congress:
The Honorable Jim Jordan
Chairman
House Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Jamie Raskin
Ranking Member
House Committee on the Judiciary
2138 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Charles Grassley
Chairman
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Durbin
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: Protecting Federal Law Enforcement Officers
I am the President of the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA), which represents more than 14,000 active and retired FBI Special Agents. Our mission is to safeguard the careers, welfare, and integrity of rank-and-file Special Agents so they can effectively protect the American public. Every day, Special Agents across the country and around the world risk their lives to serve warrants, conduct surveillance on gangs and narcotics traffickers, prevent threats to national security, and protect vulnerable populations from predators. They do this not for personal gain, but out of commitment to the public good.
I write today to express urgent concerns regarding recent developments at the FBI. Specifically, we want you to be aware that Director Patel is making personnel decisions without providing the due process protections promised to the recently terminated law enforcement officers under federal law. Summary terminations and the erosion of these protections are creating instability and uncertainty within the Bureau, increasing the risk of losing skilled public servants with significant experience, and—most concerning—jeopardizing public safety. Put simply, no Special Agent, regardless of rank or assignment, should be dismissed without receiving fair and transparent treatment, and basic due process.
On August 8, 2025, former FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll, Washington Field Office Assistant Director Steven Jensen, and several other Special Agents received letters from FBI Director Patel informing them that they were being summarily terminated, effective immediately. These Agents were committed to lawfully carrying out assignments given to them and did so professionally and with integrity.
None of the affected Agents were previously accused of misconduct or given notice and an opportunity to defend themselves, even though well-established FBI policy required that these Agents be provided with both. Moreover, several of the Agents were Senior Executive Service-level employees, and at least two of the Agents were also preference-eligible combat veterans whose additional due process rights to an accelerated review and hearing were also purposely violated.
As Director Patel knows, there are several well-established paths to legally terminate FBI Special Agents. Director Patel specifically testified to Congress during his confirmation process that he would “honor the internal review process of the FBI” in all employment actions. The recent summary terminations of these highly experienced Special Agents, however, are wholly inconsistent with that commitment. These terminations were completely lacking in both due process and dignity and have left Special Agents with no explanation for this deviation from law and policy other than political retribution.
The FBIAA is a nonpartisan organization made up of working Special Agents. We fully support efforts to combat crime and will always respond to lawful orders, putting public safety first. However, denying fundamental due process and summarily dismissing Special Agents will only make it harder to protect our nation. These actions distract Agents from their work, foster fear that their assignments could cost them their careers—either now, or under the next administration—and increase the risk of criminal and national security threats by undermining unity and morale within the Bureau.
Both your committees have long supported law enforcement officers who do their jobs the right way. Supporting them requires ensuring that employment decisions are made in full compliance with the law and that basic due process protections are honored. We urge your committees to investigate these matters and use your oversight authority to ensure that the FBI is adhering to the law.
Sincerely,
Natalie Bara
President, FBIAA
