The Federal Bureau of Investigation has terminated former special agent Steve Friend, a COVID-era whistleblower who had been reinstated only months earlier under the Trump administration.
The dismissal, which occurred Friday, cited “unprofessional conduct and poor judgment” according to a termination letter obtained by reporters. The document specified that Friend “participated in unauthorized interactions with the media, publicly disseminated media sources, and commented publicly on FBI matters and ongoing FBI investigations.”
Friend’s troubled relationship with the bureau spans more than two years. The FBI initially suspended him in August 2022, leading to his resignation in February 2023. His reinstatement came in September of last year, making his tenure upon return remarkably brief.
The termination letter outlined specific concerns about Friend’s conduct in November, when he allegedly “disseminated media sources and photographs identifying an alleged subject and discussed the alleged subject on your podcast, despite the lack of credible, verifiable evidence necessary to publicly identify the subject.”
Friend has characterized his dismissal as retaliation by FBI Director Kash Patel. An FBI source confirmed the firing to reporters but declined to provide additional details, stating only that it remained a personnel matter.
The circumstances surrounding Friend’s termination grew more complex in early December when his legal representation severed ties with him. Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research, the nonprofit organization that had been representing Friend, dropped him as a client on December 5. The organization stated in a letter that Friend had ignored its counsel by continuing to comment publicly on FBI matters, thereby “risking further adverse administrative action” from the bureau.
Friend previously testified before Congress in May alongside fellow former FBI special agent Garret O’Boyle. House Republicans at that time accused the FBI under the Biden administration of retaliating against whistleblowers who had exposed alleged misconduct within the bureau.
The case raises significant questions about the treatment of whistleblowers within federal law enforcement agencies and the balance between transparency and operational security. While whistleblower protections exist in federal law, those protections often come with strict guidelines about how and when employees may speak publicly about their concerns.
The timing of Friend’s dismissal, occurring under the current administration after his reinstatement just months prior, adds another layer of complexity to an already contentious situation. Whether this represents appropriate enforcement of bureau policies or improper retaliation against a whistleblower will likely remain a subject of debate in the months ahead.
And that is the way it is.
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