Chad Yarbrough, assistant director of the Criminal Investigative Division, acknowledged concerns among staff, stating in an internal email that he was seeking clarity on the matter.
A separate directive from Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove further escalated tensions.
Bove fired eight senior FBI officials, including those overseeing the Miami and Washington, D.C. field offices. He also demanded that by Tuesday at noon, the FBI submit a list of every employee who worked on January 6 cases, as well as those involved in a criminal case against Hamas leaders related to the Gaza conflict.
Widespread Firings Raise Concerns
Bove’s actions followed last week’s dismissal of over a dozen Justice Department prosecutors who had worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s now-dismissed cases against Trump.
These cases centered on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified government documents.
Critics argue that Trump’s administration is conducting a politically motivated purge of FBI and DOJ officials connected to these high-profile cases.