At least 10 FBI staffers who were involved in the investigation into President Donald Trump's mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate have been fired.

Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, allegedly ordered the firings. CNN reported this, citing four people briefed on the matter. CBS News added that the employees had been ousted on February 25.

The FBI Agents Association—a non-profit organization which represents current and former FBI agents—slammed the firings in a statement. "The FBIAA condemns [the] unlawful termination of FBI Special Agents, which—like other firings by Director Patel—violates the due process rights of those who risk their lives to protect our country."

"These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau's ability to meet its recruitment goals—ultimately putting the nation at greater risk," the FBIAA insisted.

The Timing

Apparently, the firings came hours after Patel told Reuters that the FBI had subpoenaed phone metadata for both him and Susie Wiles—who is currently the White House chief of staff.

The bureau subpoenaed records of phone calls made by the couple when they were both private citizens in 2022 and 2023. This happened during Trump's federal probe, Patel told the outlet.

At the time, former Special Counsel Jack Smith had been investigating reports that Trump had interfered with the 2020 election and had allegedly hidden classified documents at his Florida residence. Smith had been appointed to take over that investigation in November 2022.

Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023 over his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. This made him the first U.S. president to face federal criminal charges.

The classified document charges against Trump were dismissed by a federal judge in Florida in mid-2024 on the grounds that Smith had been unlawfully appointed. Smith then dropped the 2020 election charges after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

Part of a Wider Investigation

The FBI staffers fired on Wednesday had been involved with the classified documents case, according to CBS News.

The firings were part of a wider internal investigation, allegedly ordered by Patel, into the actions taken in the probe that led to criminal charges against Trump and two of his employees. CNN reported this, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Sources with knowledge of the ousting say these firings weren't expected to be the last.

Patel's Statement

In a statement to Reuters regarding the seizing of his phone records under the Biden administration, Patel said, "It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records—along with those of now White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles—using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight."

Reuters reported it wasn't able to independently verify many of the details regarding Patel's claims. This includes a motive for seizing the phone records, as well as further information about the timing.

Patel insisted that the records had been filed in a way that made it difficult for him and other FBI leaders to find them after he took over as director in February 2025.

CBS News reported that sources familiar with the matter had told the couple that Wiles' records had been reviewed as part of the classified documents case. The insider was unable to verify whether Patel's were, but did say that his records had not been subpoenaed for the case involving the 2020 election.

What's Unclear

It's unclear whether the FBI staffers that have been fired have been accused of any wrongdoing or were involved in subpoenaing the records in question, Forbes reported.

Either way, sources say more firings are expected. This appears to be part of a wider internal investigation into the actions taken in the probe that led to criminal charges against Trump.

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