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At least 10 FBI employees have been fired after working on the investigation into classified documents at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a news report.
The reported terminations come days after it was revealed that the FBI obtained phone records for current Director Kash Patel in 2022 and for White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in 2023, when both were private citizens.
The subpoenas were issued as part of then-special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago following his first term in office.
Patel told Reuters that the collection of his and Wiles’ phone records reflected federal overreach by prior bureau leadership.
“It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records – along with those of now White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight,” Patel said.
According to CBS News, Patel did not present evidence that the fired employees engaged in misconduct. The report cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The FBI Agents Association, which represents current and former agents, criticized the dismissals, arguing they undermine due process protections and damage institutional stability.
“These actions weaken the Bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau’s ability to meet its recruitment goals—ultimately putting the nation at greater risk,” the association said in a statement.
Wiles reportedly told associates she was “in shock” over the information. She also served as President Trump’s campaign manager during 2024.
The FBI has not publicly detailed the reasons for the firings or confirmed the exact number of employees affected.