Three former FBI special agents who were dismissed after working on criminal investigations involving former President Donald Trump have initiated a lawsuit alleging their firings were unlawful. The agents are citing recent remarks made by the Justice Department's second-in-command, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, as key evidence supporting their claims.

Evidence from DOJ Official's Conference Remarks

Blanche's 'Cleaning House' Statement

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer, spoke last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). During his appearance, Blanche stated that FBI Director Kash Patel had effectively “cleaned house.” He further claimed there was not “a single man or woman with a gun, federal agent, still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution of President Trump.”

The Plaintiffs and Allegations

The lawsuit was filed by former agents Michelle Ball, Jamie Garman, and Blaire Toleman, who are seeking class-action status for their complaint. They name Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants in the suit.

The plaintiffs assert they “faithfully served” the country but were subjected to a targeted “retribution” campaign. They argue this campaign was strategically “timed to drive headlines and curry favor with political supporters.”

Context of the Firings and Due Process Claims

Pattern of Employee Removals

This legal action is one of several filed by FBI employees terminated during the Trump administration. The suit contends that the administration dismissed over 50 FBI employees “without providing them any modicum of due process.” Furthermore, it alleges their reputations were disparaged through public statements made around the time of their dismissals.

The Justice Department has not offered an immediate comment regarding the new lawsuit, while the FBI stated it cannot comment on pending litigation.

Defendants' Political Affiliations Cited

The legal filing references Kash Patel’s 2022 children’s book, The Plot Against the King, suggesting it portrays Patel as “one of the President’s most devoted loyalists.” The suit similarly labels Pam Bondi as “one of the President’s most devoted loyalists.” It notes Bondi’s involvement in filing “baseless lawsuits to impede the peaceful transition of power” following Trump's 2020 election defeat.

Agents' Prior Work on Trump Investigations

Involvement with Jack Smith's Probe

All three plaintiffs were formerly members of a federal public corruption squad within the FBI Washington Field Office, which was dissolved last May. This unit had provided assistance to former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump. That investigation resulted in two separate criminal cases against the former president concerning classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

It is noted that both of those cases were ultimately dismissed before Trump took office in early 2025, following his 2024 election victory.

Public Scrutiny and Timing of Firings

The plaintiffs claim their names became public only after a “senior government official falsely accused them on television or social media of being corrupt, biased, or unethical for doing the lawful work that they were assigned.”

  • Michelle Ball’s termination on October 7 was allegedly “timed to coincide with Defendant Bondi’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.”
  • Jamie Garman, a former five-year assistant U.S. attorney, was removed from federal service on October 31.
  • Blaire Toleman, who reportedly “investigated and disrupted terrorist plots” during nearly 14 years at the FBI, faced a complex firing sequence: fired, then unfired, and subsequently re-fired in early November.

Related Litigation and Government Defense

The lawsuit also mentions Dan Bongino, former co-deputy FBI director, arguing that during his podcasting career, he “regularly amplified disinformation and conspiracy theories about President Trump’s false claim that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen.” Bongino is not named as a defendant in this specific suit.

Two other former FBI special agents, who claim minimal involvement in the Trump probe, filed an anonymous suit earlier this month due to fears of “doxing, SWATting, harassment, and physical harm.” Attorneys for the Tuesday filing contend their case shares similar issues and should be linked to the anonymous case before U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb.

In September, three other FBI employees, including former acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll, filed separate suits over their dismissals. Earlier this month, the government argued that Trump possessed the “constitutional prerogative to manage and remove his executive subordinates.” The government contended that Driscoll and others held high-level roles where their duties substantially impacted the government's interest in ensuring effective execution of the administration's choices.

In February, Attorney General Bondi issued a memo affirming Director Patel’s decision to remove Driscoll and his co-defendants from their positions.