Updated Feb 4, 2025 - Politics & Policy

FBI agents sue over DOJ efforts to investigate agents who worked on Jan. 6 cases

Erin Doherty

A large group of pro-Trump protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building after storming its grounds on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. — A large group of pro-Trump protesters stand on the East steps of the Capitol Building after storming its grounds on January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Nine FBI agents filed suit on Tuesday seeking to prevent President Trump's Justice Department from compiling a list of the agents who investigated Jan. 6 cases.

Why it matters: The FBI officials, who remained anonymous in the suit, wrote they feared lists of agents who worked on such cases could be made public, "thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons."

State of play: The filing comes days after the Justice Department last week ordered the review of any FBI agent involved in cases relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot or Trump's handling of classified documents.

"Plaintiffs legitimately fear that the information being compiled will be accessed by persons who are not authorized to have access to it, and who lack the requisite security clearances to handle such information," per the suit.
The plaintiffs also fear that "even if they are not targeted for termination, they may face other retaliatory acts such as demotion, denial of job opportunities or denial of promotions in the future."

Go deeper: DOJ moves to drop classified docs case against Trump's co-defendants

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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FBI agents sue over DOJ efforts to investigate agents who worked on Jan. 6 cases

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