Turning Law Enforcement on Opponents

The Investigator Purge

Trump's Appointees Fired Agents Who Investigated Him, Then Boasted None Remained

Select a Section to Explore

Chapter 1 — Fired for Investigating Trump

Chapter 2 — The Cost of Saying No

Chapter 3 — Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct

Chapter 4 — Trump's Responsibility

1 · Fired for Investigating Trump

1 · Fired for Investigating Trump — select a subtopic

1.1 — Trump Demanded Removal; Patel Claimed Credit

1.2 — The People Behind the Count

1.3 — Loyalty Questions and Exceptions for Patel's Aides

1 · Fired for Investigating Trump

1.1 · Fired for Investigating Trump

Trump Demanded Removal; Patel Claimed Credit

Trump publicly demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel remove agents, and Patel replied that the FBI had already fired them. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later boasted that no agent involved in Trump's prosecution remained. A former senior FBI official alleges that Patel said his own job depended on the firings.

Truth Social post, archived by Trump's Truth

Kash better get them out, NOW!

President Donald J. Trump · January 12, 2026

CPAC remarks quoted in Garman v. Patel

Director Patel has cleaned house there too. There isn’t a single man or woman with a gun, federal agent, still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution of President Trump.

Todd Blanche, then Deputy Attorney General · March 26, 2026

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Sources

[1]Complaint, Garman v. Patel, No. 1:26-cv-01086 (D.D.C., filed Mar. 31, 2026)

[2]Donald J. Trump, Truth Social post (Jan. 12, 2026), Trump's Truth archive

[3]Executive Order 14147, "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government" (signed Jan. 20, 2025), Federal Register doc. 2025-01900 (FR Jan. 28, 2025) — GPO/govinfo PDF

[4]Kash Patel, testimony at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing (Jan. 30, 2025), as carried in the PBS NewsHour segment transcript

[5]Complaint, Driscoll v. Patel, No. 1:25-cv-03109-JMC (D.D.C., filed Sept. 10, 2025)

1.2 · Fired for Investigating Trump

The People Behind the Count

The FBI fired Jamie Garman, Blaire Toleman, and Michelle Ball in the fall of 2025; all three had worked on the special counsel's 2020-election investigation. Their lawsuit alleges more than fifty removals without due process and describes months of unemployment and lost health coverage. A motion hearing is set for October 21, 2026; the captured docket lists no decision on the agents' claims.

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Sources

[1]Complaint, Garman v. Patel, No. 1:26-cv-01086 (D.D.C., filed Mar. 31, 2026)

[6]Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Justice memorandum establishing the Weaponization Working Group (Feb. 5, 2025) — justice.gov

[7]Garman v. Patel docket, Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, University of Michigan (accessed Oct. 10, 2026)

1.3 · Fired for Investigating Trump

Loyalty Questions and Exceptions for Patel's Aides

The New York Times reported that the FBI asked senior staff whether they had criticized Patel. A former senior official says in a lawsuit that he was asked how he voted. The complaint also says Bove told the interviewer that FBI agents could not discuss their political views in their professional capacity and got the adverse assessment reversed so Driscoll could serve in an acting leadership role. ProPublica reported that Patel waived polygraph requirements for three of his own aides; the FBI denied that any of them had failed one.

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Sources

[5]Complaint, Driscoll v. Patel, No. 1:25-cv-03109-JMC (D.D.C., filed Sept. 10, 2025)

[8]"The F.B.I. Is Using Polygraphs to Test Officials' Loyalty," The New York Times (July 10, 2025), entered into the record of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary hearing (Sept. 17, 2025)

[9]"FBI Director Kash Patel Waived Polygraph Security Screening for Dan Bongino, Two Other Senior Staff," ProPublica (Nov. 2025)

2 · The Cost of Saying No

2 · The Cost of Saying No — select a subtopic

2.1 — Bove Invoked Trump's Policy and Sent Prosecutors Home

2.2 — Reuveni Told the Court; Bondi Attacked Him

2.3 — Cheung Refused to Claim Probable Cause

2.4 — A Sentencing Memo, a Disclosure Warning, and Off-Duty Speech

2.5 — Two Analysts Removed From the Georgia Election Review

2.6 — Counterterrorism Leaders Reassigned Over the Miller Investigation

2 · The Cost of Saying No

2.1 · The Cost of Saying No

Bove Invoked Trump's Policy and Sent Prosecutors Home

After Danielle Sassoon refused to dismiss the Eric Adams corruption case, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove accepted her resignation and put the case's prosecutors on paid leave. His letter said his weaponization finding followed a policy set by Trump and that her office could not contest it.

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Sources

[10]Emil Bove, Acting Deputy Attorney General, letter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (Feb. 13, 2025) — The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara

2.2 · The Cost of Saying No

Reuveni Told the Court; Bondi Attacked Him

Erez Reuveni says the Justice Department fired him after he told a court that a deportation was an error. The disclosure also says Reuveni refused to sign an appeal brief because its arguments lacked support in the law or record. Someone else filed it at 1:41 a.m. on April 5; less than seven hours later, DOJ placed him on administrative leave for alleged failure to follow instructions and advocate zealously. Trump said publicly that the lawyer should not have said so, his whistleblower disclosure says. Reuveni alleges that, at a March 14, 2025 meeting about deportation flights, Bove said DOJ would need to consider telling the courts "fuck you" and ignoring an order blocking the removals. Reuveni says he nevertheless left the meeting understanding that DOJ would tell DHS to follow all court orders. The Department said he failed to advocate zealously, and Bondi denied that anyone had been asked to defy a court order.

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Sources

[11]Protected Whistleblower Disclosure of Erez Reuveni (redacted), submitted to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary (June 24, 2025)

[16]Attorney General Pam Bondi, post on X (@AGPamBondi) (July 10, 2025), archived by the Wayback Machine

2.3 · The Cost of Saying No

Cheung Refused to Claim Probable Cause

Denise Cheung concluded that the evidence did not support ordering a bank to freeze funds. Her letter says Ed Martin demanded a stronger order and, when she refused, her resignation. The Department called its request a basic effort to examine possible waste.

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Sources

[12]Denise Cheung, resignation letter (Feb. 18, 2025), reproduced in NBC News, "Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee"

2.4 · The Cost of Saying No

A Sentencing Memo, a Disclosure Warning, and Off-Duty Speech

The Justice Department put two prosecutors on leave after their sentencing memo called the January 6 attackers a mob of rioters, NBC News reported. ProPublica reported that Kacie Candela was fired days after she stopped a disclosure she warned would be a criminal misdemeanor. Bondi fired paralegal Elizabeth Baxter over alleged off-duty conduct toward National Guard troops.

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Sources

[13]"The Shakedown," ProPublica (Dec. 13, 2025)

[17]"DOJ puts federal prosecutors on leave after they described a 'mob of rioters' on Jan. 6," NBC News (Oct. 29, 2025)

[18]"Attorney General Pam Bondi fires DOJ staffer over alleged obscene gesture toward National Guard," NBC News (Aug. 30, 2025)

2.5 · The Cost of Saying No

Two Analysts Removed From the Georgia Election Review

MS NOW reported that the FBI fired two analysts who refused to join its investigation of Georgia's 2020 election. Its sources said the analysts believed the inquiry was unjustified under agency policies. The FBI did not confirm the firings and said it expects employees to uphold its mission.

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Sources

[14]Ken Dilanian, MS NOW (July 11, 2026)

2.6 · The Cost of Saying No

Counterterrorism Leaders Reassigned Over the Miller Investigation

CNN and Bloomberg Law reported that the FBI reassigned counterterrorism leaders Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae over an investigation involving the wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller. Washington FBI chief Darren Cox said the decision was his office's and denied that Patel ordered it.

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Sources

[15]Josh Campbell, CNN, carried by KVIA (Sept. 26, 2026)

[19]Ben Penn, Bloomberg Law (Sept. 26, 2026)

[20]CBS News (Oct. 1, 2026)

3 · Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct

3 · Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct — select a subtopic

3.1 — Thirty-Six Corruption Lawyers Became Two

3.2 — Scrutiny of DOJ Lawyers on DOJ's Terms

3 · Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct

3.1 · Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct

Thirty-Six Corruption Lawyers Became Two

NOTUS reported in September 2025 that the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section had fallen from thirty-six full-time lawyers to two. Its sources said the cuts left the section unable to advise U.S. attorneys' offices on corruption cases, though older cases continued. NPR reported that Patel's FBI disbanded a public-corruption squad that had investigated Trump.

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Sources

[21]"The Justice Department Had 36 Lawyers Fighting Corruption Full-Time. Under Trump, It's Down to Two.," NOTUS

[22]"FBI Director Patel, a longtime bureau critic, begins to put his stamp on the agency," NPR (June 5, 2025)

3.2 · Fewer People to Police Official Misconduct

Scrutiny of DOJ Lawyers on DOJ's Terms

In March 2026, Bondi's Justice Department proposed a rule giving the Attorney General first review of ethics complaints about its lawyers' federal work. It would ask state bars to suspend their own proceedings in the meantime. As of October 7, 2026, the proposal was not part of the federal regulations.

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Sources

[23]Department of Justice, "Review of State Bar Complaints and Allegations Against Department of Justice Attorneys," notice of proposed rulemaking, 91 Fed. Reg. (Mar. 5, 2026), doc. 2026-04390 — GPO/govinfo PDF

[24]Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, DOJ memorandum, "Engagement with the American Bar Association" (Apr. 2025) — justice.gov

[25]28 CFR part 77, eCFR (updated through Oct. 7, 2026; accessed Oct. 10)

[26]Rep. Dave Min et al., congressional letter documenting DOJ dismissals of cases involving Brad Bondi's clients

4 · Trump's Responsibility

4 · Trump's Responsibility — select a subtopic

4.1 — The Power and the Defense

4.2 — He Backed the Firings and Promoted Blanche

4 · Trump's Responsibility

4.1 · Trump's Responsibility

The Power and the Defense

The strongest defense is that Trump and his appointees were correcting politicized law enforcement with powers the President holds, and the Supreme Court has held him absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for his alleged discussions with Justice Department officials. Impeachment is a separate remedy for abuses of public trust. The administration promised to restore integrity; its leaders counted the removal of agents involved in Trump's prosecution as an achievement.

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Sources

[1]Complaint, Garman v. Patel, No. 1:26-cv-01086 (D.D.C., filed Mar. 31, 2026)

[3]Executive Order 14147, "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government" (signed Jan. 20, 2025), Federal Register doc. 2025-01900 (FR Jan. 28, 2025) — GPO/govinfo PDF

[6]Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Justice memorandum establishing the Weaponization Working Group (Feb. 5, 2025) — justice.gov

[21]"The Justice Department Had 36 Lawyers Fighting Corruption Full-Time. Under Trump, It's Down to Two.," NOTUS

[22]"FBI Director Patel, a longtime bureau critic, begins to put his stamp on the agency," NPR (June 5, 2025)

[27]Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. ___ (2024), No. 23-939, slip opinion — Supreme Court of the United States

[28]Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52 (1926) — Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute

[29]U.S. Constitution, art. II, § 4 — National Archives transcript

[30]Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 65 (1788) — Avalon Project, Yale Law School

[31]Articles of Impeachment adopted by the House Committee on the Judiciary against Richard M. Nixon, Article II (abuse of power), July 1974 — The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara

4.2 · Trump's Responsibility

He Backed the Firings and Promoted Blanche

Trump ordered the review, publicly demanded removals, and appointed the officials who carried them out. He later made Blanche Attorney General and appointed Bove to an appeals court, and fired Bondi in April 2026. The charge is retaliation and abuse of public trust: the President backed turning federal law-enforcement power against the people who investigated him.

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Sources

[1]Complaint, Garman v. Patel, No. 1:26-cv-01086 (D.D.C., filed Mar. 31, 2026)

[2]Donald J. Trump, Truth Social post (Jan. 12, 2026), Trump's Truth archive

[3]Executive Order 14147, "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government" (signed Jan. 20, 2025), Federal Register doc. 2025-01900 (FR Jan. 28, 2025) — GPO/govinfo PDF

[5]Complaint, Driscoll v. Patel, No. 1:25-cv-03109-JMC (D.D.C., filed Sept. 10, 2025)

[10]Emil Bove, Acting Deputy Attorney General, letter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (Feb. 13, 2025) — The American Presidency Project, UC Santa Barbara

[21]"The Justice Department Had 36 Lawyers Fighting Corruption Full-Time. Under Trump, It's Down to Two.," NOTUS

[22]"FBI Director Patel, a longtime bureau critic, begins to put his stamp on the agency," NPR (June 5, 2025)

[26]Rep. Dave Min et al., congressional letter documenting DOJ dismissals of cases involving Brad Bondi's clients

[30]Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 65 (1788) — Avalon Project, Yale Law School

[32]Federal Judicial Center, Emil Joseph Bove III biography (accessed Oct. 10, 2026)