FBI agents in Trump probes facing termination

FBI agents who participated in the investigations that led to now-abandoned criminal charges against President Donald Trump are expected to be fired in a sweeping purge of the top US law enforcement organization, US media reported Friday.

Dozens of FBI agents involved in the probe of Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 and some supervisors are also "being evaluated for possible removal," CNN said, quoting people briefed on the matter.

The Washington Post, citing people familiar with the plan, said "officials are working to identify potentially hundreds (of FBI agents) for possible termination."

The newspaper said that in addition to the purge at the FBI, about 30 federal prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases and were on probationary status had been dismissed.

The Justice Department fired a number of officials on Monday who were involved in the prosecutions of Trump.

A Justice Department official said the positions were being terminated because the acting attorney general did not believe they "could be trusted to faithfully implement the president's agenda."

NBC News said among those being fired at the Federal Bureau of Investigation were the heads of more than 20 FBI field offices including those in Miami and Washington.

According to CNN, at least six senior FBI leaders have been ordered to "retire, resign or be fired by Monday."

The Post said the FBI's acting director, Brian Driscoll, a veteran agent who was appointed by Trump to run the bureau until his nominee as director is confirmed by the Senate, had refused to approve the mass firings.