A Connecticut law firm is among multiple firms that filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three former FBI agents who allege that they were wrongfully fired over “politically motivated” reasons.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Columbia and named the Office of the President, the FBI, the Department of Justice, FBI director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pamela Bondi as defendants. The complaint was brought on behalf of Brian J. Driscoll, Jr., Steven J. Jensen and Spencer L. Evans, who are identified as former special agents or senior officials with the FBI.
The Bridgeport-based firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder joined three firms based in Washington, D.C., in filing the lawsuit. Connecticut attorney Christopher M. Mattei, listed on the suit at pro hac vice forthcoming, represents Sandy Hook families and has run for public office. He was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
The 69-page complaint contends that Patel and other leadership in the FBI brought in since Trump’s inauguration in January “deliberately chose to prioritize politicizing the FBI over protecting the American people.”
FBI Director Kash Patel listens during a news conference at the Department of Justice, May 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
According to the complaint, all three former agents were fired by Patel in early August
“He did so in violation of federal law and the United States Constitution,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint further alleges that the decision “degraded the country’s national security,” as the FBI lost three of its “most experienced operational leaders, each of them experts in preventing terrorism and reducing violent crime.”
“These agents are distinguished public servants, who were dismissed because they prioritized duty over politics,” the law firms who filed the lawsuit said in a statement, which also included Lowell & Associates, PLLC, Mark S. Zaid, P.C, and Burakiewicz & DePriest, PLLC, which are based in Washington, D.C. “This lawsuit is not just about their rights as individuals, it is about protecting the institutional integrity of the FBI and ensuring that law enforcement can protect the American people without being targeted for partisan retribution. Upholding the Constitution and the FBI’s independence is essential to our national security and democratic principles.”
“The men and women of the FBI make countless sacrifices to accomplish the Bureau’s mission: protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. That’s why it is necessary to detail the politically-motivated actions that led to our firings,” Driscoll, who served as the acting director of the FBI before Patel was confirmed, said in a statement.
“The American people deserve an FBI made up of professionals who can serve righteously and confidently, with no fear of inappropriately applied pressure or wrongful termination,” added Driscoll, who joined the FBI in 2007 and served as the bureau’s assistant director responsible for the Critical Incident Response Group when he was fired.
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Jensen, who first joined the FBI as a special agent in 2006, said he joined in the litigation to “champion the values of truth and justice for those who continue to serve in the FBI.”
“Through this lawsuit, we aim to re-establish the highest standards of justice and ensure that every American, particularly those entrusted with immense authority of federal law enforcement, respects and obeys the law,” said Jensen, who served as the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office when he was fired.
Evans, who joined the FBI in 2004, said the public’s confidence in the bureau “hinges on the commitment of every FBI employee, from the newest special agent to the director, to relentlessly adhere to the rule of law without fear or favor.”
“Americans should demand FBI leaders who make decisions based solely on the facts of an investigation and never on the desired outcome of one,” said Evans, who was fired while he was on leave and in the process of transitioning from being the special agent charge of the Las Vegas Field Office in Nevada to the SAC of the Huntsville Field Office in Alabama.
The lawsuit alleges that Patel openly admitted to his wrongdoings in a conversation with Driscoll where he, referring to his superiors as “they” — believed by Driscoll to include officials with the DOJ and the White House — said he was directed to fire anyone identified as having worked on a criminal investigation against Trump. The complaint alleges that Patel admitted he “had to fire the people his superiors told him to fire” and that his own job depended on it. According to the lawsuit, Patel allegedly went on to say “the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”
The complaint contends that Patel’s actions went directly against assurances made in sworn testimony during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked him if he would “not tolerate the firing of the FBI agents who worked with the Special Counsel’s Office” on investigations involving Trump.
“Every FBI employee will be held to the absolute same standard, and no one will be terminated for case assignments,” Patel reportedly responded.
Prior to the inauguration, Driscoll claimed that he was asked by Patel if he would be willing to serve at the FBI Headquarters in an acting capacity and eventually stay in that office in another role if Patel was ultimately confirmed, the lawsuit states. The complaint alleges that Driscoll was told the vetting process conducted by the Presidential transition team would not be an issue as long as he “was not prolific on social media, did not donate to the Democratic party and did not vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. …”
When he did speak to a representative of the White House, Driscoll contends, the questions he was asked allegedly included who he voted for, which he refused to answer, and whether he agreed that the FBI agents who “stormed” Mar-a-Lago should be held accountable, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit alleges that Driscoll was also asked for his thoughts on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, whether he had voted for a Democrat in the last five elections and when he started “supporting President Trump.”
During a subsequent meeting with FBI leadership, Driscoll alleges that he was provided with a list of names and field offices of people who were marked to be fired or removed, the lawsuit contends. In the complaint, Driscoll maintains that he refused to go along with the firings “on the basis” of the list.
Later in January, after Driscoll was asked to “stay behind” following a briefing with others at the FBI, leadership allegedly told him that they were “receiving pressure” from the White House to see “symmetrical action at the FBI” similar to what was happening at the DOJ, which was described in the lawsuit as “firings and reassignments.” After reportedly explaining that these kinds of moves could not happen without an investigation into whether specific agents had committed conduct violations, Driscoll contends that he was told that “an allegation of misconduct was not necessary” for anyone to be fired and that, leadership intended to get rid of agents based on a “loss of confidence in their ability to carry out the President’s agenda,” the complaint states.
Driscoll alleges that he was asked at the same “stay behind” meeting to compile a list of agents who worked on the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, incident at the U.S. Capitol, according to the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Driscoll alleges that he was told by FBI leadership that it was their intention to cause panic and anxiety among the bureau when an email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management encouraged federal employees to opt into voluntary resignation rather than face termination.
In late January and early February, a number of media outlets began covering accusations that FBI agents would potentially be fired based on their political views and prior case assignments. This was followed by federal leaders in February publicly accusing members of the FBI of leaking sensitive law enforcement information regarding immigration enforcement operations, the complaint states. According to the lawsuit, Driscoll was accused by FBI leadership of leaking information, which he denied.
Shortly after Patel’s confirmation, Driscoll alleges that the new director asked him to make a list of “poor leaders” in the FBI, but he refused, the lawsuit contends.
Sometime between February and March, Jensen alleges that he received a phone call from Patel about serving in a potential leadership role and that, during the conversation, Patel allegedly asked him about his “approach” to the Jan. 6 investigations and whether he “ever pushed back against DOJ leadership running the investigations,” according to the complaint. Jensen later accepted the position of FBI Branch and Operations Director of National Security, a role he served in for a few weeks before he became the assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, court papers said.
After news of the latter promotion was publicized, the lawsuit contends that Patel and other leadership within the FBI faced a “social media firestorm” from those charged in the Jan. 6 attack and “sympathizers” who identified Jensen as playing a role in the investigation, the lawsuit alleges. According to the complaint, Jensen alleges he later received a phone call from a leader within the bureau who appeared to have been unaware of Jensen’s role in the investigation into the Capitol attack.
“The online backlash to Jensen’s promotion from President Trump’s political base was significant,” the lawsuit states.
“In sum, that backlash expressed that Jensen should be fired or arrested for his participation” in the Jan. 6 investigation, the complaint continues.
The lawsuit alleges that the “SAC of Las Vegas” — a role held by Evans — appeared on a list of individuals who were to be fired in January “for failing to be sufficiently loyal to the President’s agenda.” After initially being told he would be fired, Evans said leadership ultimately decided not to terminate him at that time, the complaint states.
In May, Evans alleges that he was told he would be removed from the Las Vegas office and placed on leave until he could be reassigned, according to the lawsuit. When he was told to pick an unfilled position, Evans said he inquired about a chief-level position in Australia and was told that his reassignment “could not appear to be a reward or to a position viewed as highly coveted,” according to the complaint.
On Aug. 6, while he was preparing to travel to a new position in Huntsville, Alabama, Evans said he learned that he had been fired, court papers said.
Two days later, Driscoll was allegedly handed a printed letter from Patel that, in part, indicated he “failed to execute and perform requested tasks and issued communications to the FBI workforce that undermined the leadership of the Department of Justice,” the lawsuit states.
“These communications advocated for insubordination within the bureau and weakened workforce morale,” the letter allegedly continued. “In addition, you failed to timely respond to unapproved disclosure to the media of law enforcement sensitive information.”
Jensen received a similar letter that week notifying him he was fired, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the firings were a “legal nullity” in violation of the Fifth and First Amendments. It also seeks to have all three men reinstated with backpay and relief for legal fees and any other relief deemed “just and proper.”
A request for comment sent to the White House was not immediately answered. Spokespersons for the FBI and the DOJ declined to comment.
