Three sources confirmed that senior FBI officials were asked to resign, retire, or face termination from their top positions.
Sources said that senior officials in the FBI, including those with the executive assistant director title, were responsible for overseeing the top priorities of the Bureau, such as national security, criminal, and cyber issues.
Sources say the changes are part and parcel of the ongoing examination of FBI leadership.
CNN was the first to report this news. The FBI declined to comment.
Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee was the time when the termination of high-ranking FBI officials took place. Patel tried to allay concerns that he would not maintain the FBI’s independence and instead follow Trump’s directions to open investigations against his political opponents.
Patel said that any investigation by law enforcement would only be conducted if “a factual and articulable legal basis” was available.
Patel stated, “I have never done anything illegal or unconstitutional.” He added that he will “always obey” the law.
“There will be no weaponization at the FBI,” Patel promised. “There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI should I be confirmed as FBI director.”
Last week, the Trump administration demanded similar things from officials at the Justice Department’s National Security and Criminal Division.
