Patel tells senators agents were fired only if they weaponized law enforcement
Kash PatelFBI Director, testifying at the Senate Judiciary Committee's FBI oversight hearing
Asked by Sen. Adam Schiff whether any agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago or January 6 investigations were fired in whole or in part for that work, Patel says no one was fired for the simple fact of working on them, but that those who weaponized law enforcement were.
Responding to
The fired employees exercised poor judgment and a lack of impartiality in carrying out their duties, leading to the political weaponization of the government.
“for the simple fact of working on those investigations? No. If they weaponize law enforcement, yes.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Nine fired FBI employees sue Kash Patel, alleging they were dismissed for working on the Trump classified-documents investigation
Nine former FBI special agents, staff operations specialists and intelligence analysts sued FBI Director Kash Patel, the FBI, Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department in federal court in Washington on October 15, 2026. They say they were fired on February 25 and 26, 2026, because they had been assigned to the investigation of Donald Trump's retention of classified documents, known inside the FBI as Plasmic Echo, and that they received no notice, hearing or chance to appeal. Patel's termination letters cited Article II of the Constitution and told each of them they had exercised poor judgment and a lack of impartiality, leading to the political weaponization of the government. At a Senate hearing in September 2026, Patel said agents were not fired for the simple fact of working on the Trump investigations. The suit seeks reinstatement, back pay and a declaration that the firings violated the First and Fifth Amendments.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
PBS NewsHour video of Sen. Adam Schiff questioning FBI Director Kash Patel about the agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago and January 6 investigations, at the Senate Judiciary Committee's FBI oversight hearing on September 15, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Schiff asks Patel how many FBI agents worked on the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation, and Patel says he does not know and that most of them retired or left. Schiff then asks whether any agents who worked on the Mar-a-Lago or January 6 investigations were fired in whole or in part because they worked on those investigations.
After the quotation
Asked whether the fired agents had engaged in some other malfeasance, Patel says the FBI's inspection division reviews all employees on a constant basis and makes recommendations. He later says all FBI personnel are held to the same standard.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the FBI's February 2026 firing of employees who worked on the investigation of Donald Trump's retention of classified documents. Patel says no agent was fired for the simple fact of working on the Trump investigations and that those who weaponized law enforcement were, which defends the firings as a response to misconduct.
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More from this case
Read the full caseThe plaintiffs' attorneys say the nine were fired because they did their jobs
“In return for their service, they were fired because they did their jobs, as they always did to follow the facts and law without bias or favor. To this administration, this is an offense. To the rest of us, it is heroic”Read statement
Schiff says the next Congress will investigate the wrongful termination of agents
“while this Congress is not going to investigate the wrongful termination of potentially hundreds of agents for working on properly predicated investigations. The next Congress will.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Patel tells senators agents were fired only if they weaponized law enforcement". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6412-asked-by-sen-adam-schiff-whether-any-agents