Thousands of FBI employees involved in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol are being asked to complete detailed questionnaires regarding their roles in the inquiries. This comes as the Trump administration Justice Department considers disciplinary actions, potentially leading to firings.
The questionnaires request employees to provide information about their office, title, and specify their involvement in the Jan. 6 investigations. This includes details on whether they participated in search warrants, conducted interviews, or testified at trial.
An extraordinary directive from the Justice Department called for the names, titles, and offices of all FBI employees who worked on Jan. 6 investigations. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove stated that a review process would determine if further personnel actions are necessary.
Several senior FBI executives have already been forced to depart, and key career Justice Department officials were reassigned last month. Additionally, around two dozen employees at the U.S. attorney's office in Washington were fired for their involvement in the Jan. 6 investigations.
The scrutiny of career agents is uncommon as rank-and-file FBI agents typically do not choose their cases or face discipline based on politically sensitive cases. There has been no evidence of misconduct by FBI agents or lawyers involved in the Jan. 6 cases.
Over 1,500 individuals were charged with federal crimes in the Jan. 6 riot, with more than 1,000 pleading guilty, including over 200 admitting to assault. Approximately 250 people were convicted after a trial by a judge or jury.
It is believed that around 4,000 agents, analysts, and other employees received the questionnaires. The FBI Agents Association reassured agents that receiving the survey does not imply misconduct and emphasized that employees investigating criminal activity with integrity and within the rule of law should not be treated as engaging in misconduct.
The association highlighted the FBI's process to provide due process if misconduct allegations arise. Employees were advised to state in the survey that their actions in the Jan. 6 investigations adhered to federal law, FBI policy, and the Constitution.
