FBI agents who 'simply followed orders' in Jan. 6 probes won't be fired, a Justice official says

ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI agents “who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner” while investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol are not at risk of being fired, a top Justice Department official said in a memo to the bureau workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

But the memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove also provides no reassurances for any agents found to have “acted with corrupt or partisan intent" and suggests those employees, if there any, should be concerned about a massive and highly unusual review process the Trump administration Justice Department has embarked upon.

The message from Bove is aimed at providing a measure of clarity about highly unusual Justice Department demand for the names of agents who participated in the investigation, a request seen within the FBI as a possible precursor for mass firings.

Thousands of FBI employees who participated in investigations related to the the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters have been asked to complete in-depth questionnaires about their involvement in the inquiries as the Trump administration Justice Department weighs disciplinary actions.