Several FBI analysts tied to a disputed memo warning of a potential threat from Catholic 'violent extremists' have been fired, according to their lawyer. The firings are part of a broader personnel purge under FBI Director Kash Patel.
The analysts, including four intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst, were fired despite an earlier Justice Department investigation that found no intentional misconduct. The memo, produced in January 2023, emerged as a political flashpoint after it was issued, with Republicans in Congress citing it as evidence of the FBI targeting conservatives.
The FBI declined to comment on the firings, but the analysts' lawyer, David Laufman, called the action 'manifestly unjust' and 'completely unsupported by the facts.'
The firings are part of a broader trend of personnel purges under Patel, a Trump loyalist who has pushed out dozens of employees who contributed to investigations of the president or were perceived as not in alignment with the administration's agenda.
