President Donald Trump’s FBI Director Kash Patel has fired up to 20 FBI agents, including at least 15 pictured kneeling during 2020 George Floyd protests.
According to AP and CNN, at least three people familiar with the matter confirmed the report on Friday (September 26). Sources, who insisted on remaining anonymous, claimed the Federal Bureau of Investigation reassigned the agents last Spring, but have now since fired them.
AP reported that the number of FBI agents terminated was not immediately clear, but two people close to the matter said it was about 20. Meanwhile, CNN reports that the bureau fired 15 agents related to the May 2020 incident.
At the time, FBI agents were photographed kneeling with demonstrators. This was at the height of the protests over the Minneapolis Police killing of George Floyd. Per AP, the kneeling angered some employees in the FBI. However, other agents acknowledged it as a potential de-escalation tactic during the ongoing protests.
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FBI Agents Association Slams Director Kash Patel After Firing At Least 15 Agents Pictured Kneeling During 2020 George Floyd Protests
Moreover, sources told CNN that the firings arrive after a months-long investigation into the 15 FBI agents seen pictured kneeling. CNN reports that some of the other agents, who were present at the incident but did not kneel, weren’t fired.
Furthermore, the FBI Agents Association told CNN that 15 agents were terminated as they criticized FBI Director Kash Patel’s leadership. They claimed the firings “violate the due process rights” of the agents.
The organization stated:
“As Director Patel has repeatedly stated, nobody is above the law. But rather than providing these agents with fair treatment and due process, Patel chose to again violate the law by ignoring these agents’ constitutional and legal rights instead of following the requisite process. Patel’s dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau because they eliminate valuable expertise and damage trust between leadership and the workforce, and make it harder to recruit and retain skilled agents — ultimately putting our nation at greater risk.”
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