The Justice Department under President Donald Trump has obtained internal FBI records revealing the significant extent of the Bureau’s involvement in the January 6 investigations. FBI officials have provided data on thousands of employees linked to January 6-related probes, a move that has caused considerable concern among Bureau personnel.
This disclosure comes amid growing pressure on the FBI to account for its handling of January 6 cases, with Republicans accusing the agency of conducting politically motivated prosecutions while overlooking alleged misconduct by left-wing agitators and federal informants.
According to CNN, details of over 5,000 agency employees—including ID numbers, job titles, and their involvement in the January 6 investigations—were disclosed to the DOJ. The FBI employs just over 13,000 agents and a total of 38,000 staff. In a memo titled “Terminations” sent on Friday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove set a Tuesday noon deadline for FBI officials to provide the details of thousands of agents and analysts.
Bove had previously ordered the dismissal of eight senior FBI officials who were responsible for overseeing cyber, national security, and criminal investigations. Officials appointed by Elon Musk were also seen at FBI headquarters on Tuesday, where they led initiatives for President Donald Trump’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to reports, several FBI employees have filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department, alleging it violated the Constitution and privacy laws by mandating agents to complete a survey supposedly designed to “purge” bureau staff. The agents are requesting that a federal judge intervene to block the Trump administration from releasing the surveys or any information from their responses.
“The very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel, and to discourage them from reporting any future malfeasance by Donald Trump and his agents,” the lawsuit alleges.