三名因参与特朗普2020年选举调查而被解雇的FBI特工Michelle Ball、Jamie Garman和Blaire Toleman已提起联邦诉讼[1]。这些特工声称自己表现"堪称典范且纯净无瑕"，却被"突然以无正当理由"解雇[1]。
诉讼获得广泛支持，包括代表近12000名成员的FBI特工协会、前FBI和司法部官员、第一修正案学者、法治律师协会以及司法连接网络等五个组织共同向法院提交了陈述[1]。这些组织认为解雇违反了正当程序，属于基于政治立场的报复行为，威胁了FBI的独立性和专业性[1]。
联邦诉讼于3月提起[1]。FBI特工协会等支持方的法庭陈述凸显了对该机构人事决定的广泛质疑[1]。
Three FBI agents dismissed from their positions over their involvement in the 2020 Trump election investigation have filed a federal lawsuit challenging their terminations, and they are receiving substantial backing from within and outside the bureau [1]. Michelle Ball, Jamie Garman, and Blaire Toleman contend that they were "suddenly terminated without cause" despite having "exemplary and unblemished" performance records [1]. The agents argue that their firings violated due process and constituted retaliation based on their political activities, threatening the independence and professionalism of the FBI [1].
The lawsuit has attracted support from five organizations that submitted court briefs on behalf of the agents [1]. These include the FBI Agents Association, which represents approximately 12,000 members, along with a coalition comprising former FBI and Department of Justice officials, First Amendment scholars, rule-of-law lawyers, and the Judicial Accountability Network [1]. The federal lawsuit was filed in March, following Donald Trump's return to the White House in 2024, amid efforts to remove personnel connected to Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation, which was ultimately abandoned [1]. FBI Director Kash Patel has overseen the dismissals as part of personnel changes within the agency [1].