Magaziner, Thompson Question FBI Director Patel on Firing of Agents with Iran Expertise, Demand Patel Testify

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security demanded answers from FBI Director Kash Patel on his firing of counterintelligence agents with expertise on Iran.

The letter follows reports that the FBI fired at least ten agents last week as retribution for their role in the classified documents investigation involving Trump. Those removed included members of an elite counterespionage unit responsible for investigating threats from foreign adversaries, including Iran. The firings came just days before President Trump ordered strikes on Iran, which have already resulted in retaliatory actions against the United States.

In the letter, the lawmakers highlight the national security risks to the United States posed by these firings by Patel, and demanded that he appear before the committee to testify about the firings and his plan to combat Iranian terror and espionage activities on U.S. soil.

"The counterespionage agents and staff you fired specialize in monitoring and mitigating threats from foreign adversaries, including Iran," the Members wrote. "Firing these experts just days before President Trump ordered strikes on Iran not only raises serious questions about coordination across the Trump Administration, but also about the FBI's ability to identify and counter dangerous Iranian operations on U.S. soil while our nations are at war."

You can find a full copy of the letter here and below.

The Honorable Kash Patel

Director

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Washington, D.C. 20535

Dear Director Patel:

We write about deeply concerning reports that you are once again diminishing the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to protect the American people - this time by firing a dozen FBI agents and staff in retribution for investigating President Trump's illegal removal of classified documents during his first term. The counterespionage agents and staff you fired specialize in monitoring and mitigating threats from foreign adversaries, including Iran. Firing these experts just days before President Trump ordered strikes on Iran not only raises questions about coordination across the Trump administration, but also about the FBI's ability to identify and counter dangerous Iranian operations on U.S. soil while our nations are at war.

As you know, Iran's government "has been implicated in assassinations, terrorist plots, and terrorist attacks in more than 40 countries" since 1979. These include attempted attacks inside the U.S., such as an Iranian Armed Forces-linked 2011 plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. and plots to kidnap or kill U.S.-based dissidents. Furthermore, following a January 2020 U.S. airstrike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Commander Qasem Soleimani, Iranian leaders have vowed to avenge Soleimani's death and have attempted to fulfill that vow on several occasions. In 2021, Iranian Armed Forces attempted "to arrange the murder" of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. In August 2022, news reports identified former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a target of an Iranian-assassination plot and $1 million bounty.

Following this weekend's attack on Iran, the Department of Homeland Security issued a critical incident note warning that increased U.S. or Israeli operations in Iran could inspire U.S.-based individuals to violence. So while there is never a good time to undermine the FBI's efforts to protect against foreign spy operations, the timing of your firing of counterespionage agents could not have been worse.

Troublingly, this is not the first time you have harmed the FBI's ability to counter terror threats in the United States.. Nearly a year ago, we wrote to you about your decision to transfer FBI agents and intelligence analysts out of FBI's Domestic Terrorism Operations Section and then-acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove's directive that FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) focus on immigration enforcement. We asked whether FBI agents supporting JTTFs were directed to pause or stop terrorism investigations, foreign or domestic, whether agents had been reassigned from JTTFs as a result of the apparent deprioritization of domestic terrorism investigations, and how many hours FBI agents supporting JTTFs were spending on terrorism investigations versus immigration-related initiatives, among other things. You have yet to respond to that letter, and you were a no-show at the Committee on Homeland Security's annual worldwide threats hearing, despite having ample time to travel around the world on leisure travel at taxpayer expense.

It is time that you come before the Committee to explain your decisions and answer our questions about how the changes at FBI are making the homeland less safe. We look forward to hearing from you without further delay.

Sincerely,

Bennie G. Thompson

Ranking Member

Committee on Homeland Security

Seth Magaziner

Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence