White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says

White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says

A sprawling suit by three fired F.B.I. officials provides a disturbing account of efforts by top Trump aides to strip the bureau of its independence.


https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/us/politics/trump-fbi-lawsuit.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare


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A lawsuit filed by three former F.B.I. officials charges the bureau director Kash Patel dismissed them as part of “a campaign of retribution” for their “failure to demonstrate sufficient personal and political loyalty.”Credit...Francis Chung/Politico, via AP Images
Alan FeuerGlenn Thrush

By Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush Sept. 10, 2025Updated 2:22 p.m. ET

The White House has exerted extraordinary influence over decisions at the F.B.I., issuing political loyalty tests and directly ordering the firings of agents targeted by President Trump and his allies, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday by three former bureau officials who accused the administration of illegally dismissing them.



...........Mr. Driscoll, Mr. Jensen and Mr. Evans, who were all fired last month, are asking a judge to reinstate them and declare their dismissals in violation of federal civil service protections and their constitutional rights to free speech and due process.

Their experiences added to the already troubling picture of the war that Mr. Trump has carried out against those inside government who are perceived to have opposed his administration and its agenda. Waves of retributive firings and demotions have taken place inside federal agencies, including the Health and Human Services Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve.

The F.B.I. has been the target of some of the most severe attacks because of Mr. Trump’s belief that the bureau wrongly investigated him for an array of purported malfeasance. Mr. Trump has never forgiven the agency for examining the connections between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign or for helping the special counsel Jack Smith to prosecute him for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents after he left office............................

This is incredibly dangerous! trump can sic the FBI on anyone for any reason. #ProudBlue

White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over F.B.I., Lawsuit Says www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/u...

— Raven Song Farm (@ravensongfarm.bsky.social) 2025-09-10T17:53:46.800Z