The FBI complied with President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and turned over the names of employees who investigated cases relating to Jan. 6, according to an email.
The FBI relayed the names with a classified system so employees would not be identified publicly, the email sent by acting Director Brian Driscoll and obtained by FBI whistleblower Garret O’Boyle said.
“I want to be clear that as of now we do not have information indicating the Department of Justice intends to disseminate these lists publicly, and they are fully aware of the risks we believe are inherent in doing so,” Driscoll wrote in the email.
Here’s the latest from acting @fbi director Driscoll. I wonder how many of the coins with his own face on it he bought before they shut the link down. Anyways.
fbi gave the names and other information @TheJusticeDept requested last week but did so on a classified system and… https://t.co/XQQxmbG6p8 pic.twitter.com/V0CALh1qyN
— Garret O’Boyle (@GOBactual) February 7, 2025
The email also advises employees to “mitigate [their] digital footprint” to avoid potential safety risks.
The email was reported by CNN. The outlet previously learned that the FBI initially handed over details of certain employees — but not their names. The FBI provided the DOJ with the ID numbers, job titles and any roles employees had in Jan. 6 investigations, a source told the outlet.
“The FBI should’ve handed over the names when they were first asked,” O’Boyle told the Caller. “They knew the request of information was legal, yet they failed to comply. When they did finally comply, they only provided employee identification numbers, and not the names that DOJ requested.”
“Now, the FBI ‘leadership’ has finally complied with what originally was a simple, legal request by their governing department,” he added.
An email sent from FBI Chicago’s Special Agent in Charge (SAC), according to O’Boyle, told employees the DOJ request for information about “cases and personnel” is lawful. Notably, the FBI is a component within the DOJ.
Here’s @fbiChicago SAC declaring the legality of the request after sitting on an all SAC/EM call over the weekend. Whoops. That won’t be good for their lawsuits… pic.twitter.com/EvSHxtsMKP
— Garret O’Boyle (@GOBactual) February 5, 2025
While the FBI adhered to the DOJ’s latest request, Driscoll has not always complied with their orders.
He refused to adhere to a DOJ directive ordering that he aid in the dismissal of agents involved in Jan. 6 cases, several current and former FBI officials told NBC News. However, according to Driscoll, he complied with an order to dismiss eight senior officials.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove stated in a Wednesday memo that FBI employees who acted ethically would not be terminated.
“Let me be clear: No FBI employee who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner with respect to January 6 investigations is at risk of termination or other penalties,” the email obtained by CNN said.
Bove slammed employees who engaged in weaponization and “acted with corrupt or partisan intent” in the memo.
Trump has made it a priority to end government weaponization, and he signed a day one executive order targeting politicization of the DOJ and the intelligence community.
The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed the vote on Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, Thursday. Democrats and chair of the committee, Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, agreed to delay the vote for a week.
Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy noted during the committee’s meeting that many of the Jan. 6 defendants have been overcharged, according to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I do not see anything wrong with the Department of Justice under new leadership finding out, or trying to find out, why that happened,” Sen. Kennedy stated.
