An FBI agent who initially worked with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to investigate the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good has resigned.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the agent was ordered to reclassify the civil rights investigation as an investigation into an assault on the officer shortly after it began.
The agent was ordered to reclassify the civil rights investigation into the fatal ICE shooting as an investigation into an assault on the officer.
The FBI subsequently prevented the BCA from participating in the inquiry.
Broader Personnel Changes
This resignation is part of a series of departures by experienced FBI agents across various states, according to multiple sources.
Some agents reportedly faced removal after an internal review of the FBI’s messaging system identified negative comments they had made about President Donald Trump, with some comments dating back as far as a decade.
These removals are connected to an ongoing effort led by Director Kash Patel, aimed at ousting individuals involved in past investigations, including those related to former President Trump. This effort reportedly includes top FBI officials in New Orleans, Miami, and other locations.
Previous Allegations and Official Statements
Months prior to these recent expulsions, Director Kash Patel was sued by three former senior FBI officials, one of whom served as acting FBI director during the beginning of President Trump’s second administration. The lawsuit alleged that Patel received instructions to fire agents who had worked on past Trump investigations, or face termination himself.
During his confirmation hearing in January, Patel told members of Congress that no one in the FBI would be "terminated for case assignments" and stated he would "not … go backwards." He also affirmed:
"There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken."
Concerns Over Due Process
This summer, the FBI Agents Association, a non-profit organization supporting current and former agents, conveyed its concerns to lawmakers.
In a letter, the association warned that Director Patel was "making personnel decisions without providing the due process protections promised to the recently terminated law enforcement officers under federal law."
The FBI Agents Association warned that personnel decisions were being made "without providing the due process protections promised to the recently terminated law enforcement officers under federal law."
The letter further stated that affected agents had not been accused of misconduct or given notice and an opportunity to defend themselves, despite established FBI policy requiring such provisions.