Thousands of FBI agents and employees are being asked by Justice Department leadership to fill out a 12-question survey detailing their roles in investigations stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The questionnaire is contributing to a mounting sense of anxiety inside the bureau, as leaders and agents brace for a potential purge of those deemed disloyal to President Donald Trump and his new administration. It has prompted resistance from leaders of some of the bureau’s nationwide field offices, some of whom have urged subordinates not to fill out the questionnaire and let higher-ranking officials handle the fallout.
Understanding the Questionnaire
The questionnaire, which is due by 3 p.m. Monday, asks agents and FBI officials to detail their rank, whether they participated in Jan. 6 investigations and in what capacity. It includes drop-down menus that inquire whether they handled arrests, led operations, testified in trials or were assigned as case agents to the roughly 1,600 defendants who were charged, according to a person who read portions of the message to POLITICO.
The questionnaire also asks whether the officials participated in surveillance, discovery efforts, grand jury proceedings, witness interviews or subpoena review. It also asks if they followed up on leads sent from other field offices and performed other administrative tasks related to the cases.
Challenges and Resistance
Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll notified the workforce on Friday that the acting No. 2 at the Justice Department, Emil Bove, gave the FBI a deadline of noon Tuesday to provide a roster of employees who worked on Jan. 6 cases and on a Hamas-related investigation.
The anxiety gripping the FBI’s ranks comes amid a similar shakeup inside the Justice Department, including the firing of roughly 30 prosecutors who handled Jan. 6 cases and more than a dozen connected to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations of Trump.
A lawyer representing several FBI employees said several heads of FBI field offices — most of whom hold the title of special agent in charge — are pushing back against the latest inquiries.
Call for Caution and Support
The FBI Agents Association contacted members over the weekend about the questionnaire, urging them to consult with their supervisors and to include suggested language describing the abrupt demands from DOJ leadership “without being afforded appropriate time.”
“We understand that this feels like agents and employees are being targeted, despite repeated assurances that ‘all FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,’” the association told its members in an unsigned guidance email. “Employees carrying out their duties to investigate allegations of criminal activity with integrity and within the rule of law should never be treated as those who have engaged in actual misconduct.”
“We continue to hear rumors of dismissals/security revocations, or individuals who have been told to expect dismissals on Monday,” the association told its members. “Again, we have no confirmation of any such events. Please be cautious in sharing and spreading what could be misinformation. We do not need any more stress on those potentially impacted.”
Implications and Future Actions
Trump’s actions post-Jan. 6, including pardons and commutations, have raised concerns within the FBI. The focus on identifying FBI agents involved in Jan. 6 cases indicates ongoing efforts to distance the government from repercussions of the Capitol attack.
