Nine former FBI employees sue over Trump documents probe, alleging they were dismissed because of their assigned work on the Mar-a-Lago classified-records investigation. Their complaint targets the FBI, Kash Patel, Todd Blanche and the Justice Department and seeks reinstatement, back pay and other relief
Trump classified documents investigation
The nine former FBI agents, intelligence analysts and operations specialists filed their lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. They had worked on the investigation into President Donald Trump’s retention of classified documents after his first White House term.
The investigation, led by former special counsel Jack Smith, resulted in criminal charges against Trump in 2023. Trump denied wrongdoing. The case was dismissed in 2024 after Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Smith had been unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department later dropped its appeal following Trump’s return to the presidency.
Kash Patel firing allegations
The plaintiffs say FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed them over two days in February 2026 without an internal disciplinary investigation, meaningful notice, a hearing or an opportunity to appeal.
Their complaint alleges the terminations were connected to perceptions that their investigative work conflicted with political loyalty demanded by the administration. Patel has previously argued that personnel he removed had contributed to what he described as the political weaponization of the bureau. No court has yet ruled on the merits of the new claims.
Plasmic Echo case files
The lawsuit provides new details surrounding the FBI investigation internally known as Plasmic Echo. According to the complaint, agent Miles Starr sought urgent access to the classified case files on February 23 while working with Patel’s Director’s Advisory Team.
Former counterintelligence section chief Jennifer Bacon allegedly granted access to records containing the names of the nine plaintiffs. Eight employees were dismissed shortly afterward, with the ninth fired the following day. The plaintiffs argue that the timing supports their claim that their connection to the Trump investigation triggered the dismissals.
Political retaliation lawsuit
The complaint characterizes the firings as political retaliation and challenges the administration’s reliance on presidential authority under Article II of the Constitution.
The plaintiffs argue that federal employees cannot lawfully lose their jobs simply because they carried out investigations that angered a president. Their case also raises due process questions about whether career law-enforcement personnel must receive established procedural protections before dismissal.
The government will have an opportunity to dispute those allegations as the case proceeds.
FBI employees seek reinstatement
The nine plaintiffs are seeking reinstatement, back pay and a declaration that their dismissals were unlawful. Their attorneys say the group collectively brought more than a century of FBI experience, including counterintelligence work and responses to major national-security incidents.
The lawsuit now places another aspect of the Trump administration’s FBI personnel changes before a federal court. Beyond the individual employment disputes, the case could test how far presidential authority extends over career law-enforcement officials and what protections remain when employees work on politically sensitive investigations.
