The U.S. Justice Department has agreed not to publicly release the names of FBI agents who worked on the now-closed investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. This agreement, confirmed in a court order filed on Friday, ensures that the agents will receive two days’ notice before any potential disclosure of their identities.
Court Order Protects FBI Agents from Immediate Public Disclosure
The decision follows lawsuits filed earlier this week by anonymous FBI agents and the FBI Agents Association. These legal actions aimed to prevent the Justice Department from releasing a list of agents involved in the January 6 investigations.
After a Thursday hearing, both sides agreed to the court order, which temporarily blocks the list’s release. The FBI Agents Association welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that it protects agents from possible retaliation.
“This is an important step in the right direction to protect those who protect us — FBI agents who have dedicated their careers to upholding the rule of law and defending our country,” said Natalie Bara, president of the FBI Agents Association.
She added that the agreement allows agents to challenge any planned release of their names in court, ensuring their safety and continued focus on protecting the American public.
Trump Plans to Fire ‘Some’ FBI Agents Over Jan. 6 Probes
President Donald Trump addressed the issue during a press conference at the White House, stating that while he does not intend to fire all FBI employees who worked on the January 6 investigations, he will remove some.
“We had some corrupt agents, and those people are gone, or they will be gone, and it will be done quickly and very surgically,” Trump said.
His comments align with a broader Justice Department review of personnel who participated in investigations related to the Capitol attack and past probes involving Trump himself.
Justice Department Conducts Internal Review of FBI Agents
Last week, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll to compile a list of all current and former FBI employees involved in any capacity in the January 6 investigation. The Justice Department wants to assess whether any personnel actions are necessary.
As part of this effort, FBI agents nationwide were asked to complete questionnaires detailing their involvement in the January 6 and Trump-related investigations. Initially, the FBI provided employee identification numbers and other anonymized data for over 5,000 agents. However, Driscoll was later ordered to submit their actual names through a classified system.
A Justice Department court filing confirmed that a record linking these ID numbers to specific names had been transmitted to the department. While the exact purpose of the list remains unclear, attorneys representing the agents argue it could be used to justify adverse employment actions against those who participated in the probes.
Justice Department Already Firing Employees from Trump Investigations
Reports indicate that approximately a dozen Justice Department officials who worked on former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump were fired after his re-election in November. Sources told CBS News that the terminations occurred because then-Acting Attorney General James McHenry doubted these officials’ ability to support the president’s agenda.
In addition, interim federal prosecutors who worked on January 6-related cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., were also dismissed. These moves come amid a leadership transition within the Justice Department, with newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi taking charge and the FBI awaiting the Senate confirmation of Trump’s nominee, Kash Patel, as its new director.
Concerns Over Safety of FBI Agents and Their Families
Attorneys representing the FBI agents warn that making their identities public could put them and their families at risk. They pointed to recent instances where the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, publicly named federal employees.
Adding to the concern, some individuals who received pardons from Trump for crimes committed on January 6 have used social media to make threats against FBI personnel. The ongoing legal battle over whether these agents’ names should remain confidential is set to continue, with a hearing scheduled for March 27.
The Justice Department’s agreement to withhold the names of FBI agents involved in the January 6 investigations provides temporary protection, but the issue remains contentious.
Trump’s statements about removing “corrupt” agents, ongoing personnel reviews, and past firings of officials involved in Trump-related probes suggest that the political and legal battles over the Capitol riot investigations are far from over. With a key court hearing set for March, the fate of these FBI agents remains uncertain.
