The Federal Bureau of Investigation has terminated approximately ten employees who were previously involved in the investigation concerning former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified materials. The dismissals occurred on Wednesday, as confirmed by CBS News, a media partner of BBC.
This development emerged shortly after Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official, disclosed to Reuters that federal agents had subpoenaed his personal phone records during the period when he was a private citizen. Similarly, Susie Wiles, who currently serves as White House chief of staff, also had her private communications records subpoenaed during the investigation while she was not serving in any government capacity.
Notably, Patel did not present any substantiated evidence of misconduct by the dismissed FBI personnel. The terminated staff members had all participated in the probe examining Trump’s retention of sensitive documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The investigation into Trump’s document handling was part of a broader examination led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who initiated two federal inquiries following Trump’s departure from the White House in 2021. These investigations addressed both the alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and the improper retention of classified materials at Trump’s Florida residence, including alleged obstruction efforts to prevent their recovery by justice authorities.
The FBI has not provided official commentary regarding the personnel changes despite requests from BBC News for clarification on the matter.