They allege that the Trump administration is planning politically motivated terminations.
A group of anonymous FBI employees has filed a class action lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging it violated their constitutional rights by gathering and potentially releasing information on employees who partook in investigations surrounding the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the Mar-A-Lago classified documents case.
The lawsuit centers on a survey the employees say they were directed to fill out that identified their specific role in those cases.
“Plaintiffs assert that the purpose of this list is to identify agents to be terminated or to suffer other adverse employment action,” the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, reads.
“Plaintiffs reasonably fear that all or parts of this list might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by the now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons.”
The lawsuit names nine “John and Jane Does” as plaintiffs and Acting Attorney General James McHenry as a defendant. The plaintiffs are seeking to bring the lawsuit on behalf of at least 6,000 current and former FBI employees.
They allege that the administration is violating the First Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and Privacy Act of 1974.
“Government employees are protected by the First Amendment from discrimination or retaliation based on their political beliefs or affiliation, or perception thereof,” the lawsuit states.
It goes on to say that the plaintiffs “reasonably believe and fear that the information gathered in the survey will also be used to target them for retaliatory discharge due to the Trump administration’s perception of their loyalties.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.