Two groups of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) filed separate lawsuits on Tuesday in federal court seeking to bar President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Justice (DOJ) from attaining the names of agents involved in the January 6 Capitol riot prosecutions. The agents allege that they believe President Trump intends to make the identities of FBI employees who were assigned to the January 6 cases public, which they contend could place them and their families in danger.
“Plaintiffs are employees of the FBI who worked on Jan. 6 and/or Mar-a-Lago cases, and who have been informed that they are likely to be terminated in the very near future (the week of Feb. 3-9, 2025) for such activity,” one filing, on behalf of nine anonymous FBI employees as a class action lawsuit reads. It continues, claiming the plaintiffs represent the interests of “…at least 6,000 current and former F.B.I. agents and employees who participated in some manner in the investigation and prosecution of crimes and abuses of power by Donald Trump, or by those acting at his behest.”
The second case is being brought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association on behalf of seven anonymous agents and seeks a restraining order against the DOJ’s acquisition of the list of agents who investigated the January 6 cases. Anti-Trump attorney Mark Zaid is the lead counsel for the plaintiffs.
Meanwhile, the Trump White House has not indicated that it intends to release the names of the FBI agents, despite the claims made in the lawsuits. So far, the only action taken has been a request by the DOJ for the FBI to hand over a list of agents involved as part of a broader department review of partisan lawfare actions undertaken by the previous Biden government.