9 Fired FBI Employees Who Worked on Trump Documents Case Sue, Alleging Unlawful Termination

October 15, 2026 / 2:15 PM EDT / CBS News

9 Fired FBI Employees Who Worked on Trump Documents Case Sue, Alleging Unlawful Termination

TL;DR

  • Nine former FBI employees are suing the FBI, alleging unlawful termination.
  • The employees claim their firings were politically motivated and related to their work on Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Donald Trump.
  • The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and names the FBI, Kash Patel, Todd Blanche, and the Department of Justice as defendants.
  • Plaintiffs allege their firings were based on 'Article II' and aimed to satisfy Trump's 'personal vendetta'.
  • The FBI recovered over 100 classified documents from Mar-a-Lago in August 2022.
  • Trump was indicted in 2023, but charges were later dismissed after a judge ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed.
  • The lawsuit points to public comments, including a statement about 'cleaning house' at the FBI, as evidence of political animus.
  • An incident involving counterintelligence section chief Jennifer Bacon granting access to classified files to Miles Starr is highlighted.
  • Bacon and eight other plaintiffs were fired less than 48 hours after this incident.
  • The lawsuit suggests firings might have been a distraction from negative press regarding Patel's conduct.
  • Eight plaintiffs were fired on February 25, 2026, and the ninth the following day.
  • Attorneys for the plaintiffs stated the employees were fired 'because they did their jobs'.