9 fired FBI employees who worked on Trump documents case sue

Nine former FBI employees sued the bureau, saying they were unlawfully terminated for working on the investigation into President Trump’s classified documents case.

Washington — Nine former FBI employees sued the bureau on Thursday, saying they were unlawfully terminated merely for working on former special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Trump's retention of classified records after his first term in the White House.The former special agents, intelligence analysts and staff operation specialists worked on counterintelligence investigations and were fired over the course of two days in February 2026 — just as the United States and Israel were set to begin military strikes against Iran.The nine plaintiffs represent the latest in a growing number of former FBI agents and other personnel who have filed lawsuits against the Justice Department and the bureau after they were abruptly terminated.

Many of the fired employees worked on matters that displeased Mr. Trump and his allies.The plaintiffs "were unlawfully terminated not for any cause or any legitimate reason, but only to satisfy the President's personal vendetta," the lawsuit alleged."The firings did not follow any internal investigation or disciplinary process within the FBI, and Plaintiffs were not given any notice, a hearing, or an opportunity to appeal. Instead, Patel claimed to rely solely upon 'Article II' to support the firings," the suit said, referring to FBI Director Kash Patel and Article II of the Constitution, which lays out the president's executive powers.The 70-page lawsuit was filed in the