FBI fires agents who were caught kneeling during 2020 George Floyd protests
FBI officers take a knee with demonstrators, as they march on June 4, 2020, in Washington, during a protest over the death of George Floyd. AP
WASHINGTON — The FBI has dismissed a group of agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice demonstration in Washington following the 2020 death of George Floyd, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The agents had initially been reassigned last year but were later terminated, the individuals said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal personnel issues. The total number of agents dismissed was not immediately confirmed, but two of the sources estimated the figure at around 20.
The controversy stems from photographs showing FBI agents kneeling in apparent solidarity with protesters after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, an event that sparked nationwide demonstrations and renewed debate over policing and racial inequality. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment.
The dismissals are part of a wider internal overhaul under Director Kash Patel, who has overseen the removal of multiple agents and senior executives in recent months. At least five high-ranking officials were abruptly let go last month, a move current and former bureau officials say has rattled morale across the agency.
Among those ousted were Steve Jensen, who helped oversee investigations into the January 6 Capitol riot; Brian Driscoll, who briefly served as acting FBI director early in President Trump’s administration; Chris Meyer, who was falsely linked online to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case; and Walter Giardina, who worked on high-profile probes including one involving Trump adviser Peter Navarro.
Three former officials — Jensen, Driscoll, and Spencer Evans — have filed a lawsuit claiming Patel acknowledged it was “likely illegal” to terminate agents based on cases they had handled but said he could not stop the process, which they allege was driven by the White House and Justice Department to remove agents tied to investigations involving President Trump.
Patel, however, denied in recent congressional testimony that he acted on White House directives, insisting that all personnel decisions were made based on the FBI’s professional standards.
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