FBI defenders appeal to Congress as agents face scrutiny for the work of January 6

By Andrew Goudsward and Sarah N. Lynch

Washington (Reuters) – Defense groups representing FBI agents appealed to the United States Congress on Monday to intervene to stop possible massive shots of agents who worked in the investigation of the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021 and Other probes convicted by President Donald Trump.

In a letter to the Republican and democratic leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives, the groups warned that the leaders designated by Trump in the Department of Justice were taking measures that in danger the careers of thousands of FBI agents.

Republicans have close majorities in both cameras and so far have shown little interest in criticizing or going in the actions of the administration.

An official of the Superior Justice Department appointed by Trump asked the FBI to compile a list of employees who worked in cases related to the Capitol attack. FBI employees were ordered to complete a questionnaire on Sunday that details their work in those cases.

“We urge you to work with President Trump to prevent official officials from taking personnel measures that undermine our shared goal of keeping the FBI out of politics,” the groups wrote in the letter. It was signed by the head of the FBI agents association, which represents 14,000 current and previous special agents and other law application groups.

The directive has fueled the fears that the Trump administration, who has already fired or reassigned dozens of prosecutors of the Department of Justice and senior FBI officials, can take measures against the FBI agents who worked in the riot investigation of the Capitol.

The Department of Justice has not commented on personnel movements. The authorities have said that some of the movements were aimed at employees who could not be reliable to carry out Trump’s agenda.

Separately, on Monday, the Democrats of the Judicial Committee of the Senate wrote letters to the Trump nominees to lead the Department of Justice and the FBI demanding records related to the elimination of career officials.

“We can only assume that these decisions are intended to prevent the department from investigating national security and public corruption, while serving as political retribution against the president’s perceived enemies,” wrote the legislators led by Senator Dick Durbin in the Charter .

(Andrew Goudsward report; Scott Malone and Jamie Freed edition)