Report: Kash Patel Fired Waves Of FBI Staff After Critical Coverage, Sources Say

A new report says FBI Director Kash Patel has repeatedly dismissed staff in batches shortly after facing negative publicity, a pattern that multiple current and former bureau employees say looks like retaliation rather than routine personnel action.

Background

Patel, 46, has spent his first year as the nation’s top law-enforcement official under intense scrutiny over his use of agency aircraft, alleged misuse of funds and questions about investigative decisions. Many of the allegations have come from current and former insiders, and several outlets have documented a repeated timing between critical coverage and personnel moves at the FBI.

Patel routinely purges FBI staff in the wake of bad press, according to a report. / Mike Blake/Reuters

Timing Of Firings

MS NOW identified four episodes in which agents or staff were terminated within hours or days after reports questioned Patel’s fitness to lead the FBI. According to multiple bureau sources, employees noticed the recurring timing and say it has created concern that leadership decisions are being driven by a desire to respond to or suppress unfavorable press rather than by operational priorities.

“The FBI workforce is very intelligent and their job is to put together connected events,” former FBI agent and MS NOW contributor Rob D’Amico told the outlet. “They have noticed. They see it for what it is, actions of a selfish and insecure person.”

Notable Incidents Cited

One episode drew wide attention after Patel was filmed drinking beer and celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Italy while traveling on an FBI jet. His spokesperson described the trip as official business, but NBC News reported that President Donald Trump privately rebuked Patel for his conduct and for using the taxpayer-funded aircraft.

FBI director Kash Patel quaffing beer at the Winter Olympics. / William Turton/X

The day after that reported confrontation, Patel terminated 10 employees who had worked on the Mar-a-Lago document probe; two more were dismissed the following day. Those actions came after revelations that Patel and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles had their phones subpoenaed in 2022 and 2023, according to reporting.

Sources told MS NOW that the purge significantly weakened CI-12, the FBI’s global counterintelligence unit focused heavily on Iranian threats. In a separate case, Patel dismissed Steven Palmer, a 27-year FBI veteran who managed the agency’s jet fleet, after reports that Patel used an FBI plane to travel to a date with his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins. In January, at least six agents linked to the Mar-a-Lago investigation were also dismissed shortly after a New York Times story quoted current and former employees questioning Patel’s leadership.

The FBI director’s jet use became a national scandal when it was revealed that he flew to Pennsylvania to see Wilkins perform at a wrestling event on Oct. 25, before flying to Nashville, her hometown, later that same day. / Alexis Wilkins / Instagram

Reactions And Official Response

The FBI Agents Association, which represents active and retired agents, called the dismissals unjustified and illegal, according to MS NOW. When reached for comment, the FBI press office declined to discuss personnel matters but told the Daily Beast the Bureau “maintains a robust counterintelligence operation,” citing 2025 results — including a 35% increase in counterintelligence arrests, the capture of six of the Ten Most Wanted fugitives and multiple foiled terrorism plots in December — and saying teams remain fully engaged nationwide.

Observers inside and outside the bureau say the pattern, if accurate, risks damaging morale and operational capacity by removing experienced personnel at politically sensitive moments. The report leaves open questions about the motives behind specific terminations and whether internal legal or personnel processes were properly followed.