Page 4 - Fbi

FBI agents sue over justice dept's effort to ID those probing Trump cases

FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over Justice Department efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings. The class-action complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, seeks an immediate halt to the Justice Development's plans to compile a list of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol as well as Trump's hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The lawsuit notes that Trump on the campaign trail "repeatedly stated that he would personify the vengeance' or the retribution, for those whom he called "political hostages, for their actions during the Jan 6 attack. The agents contend the very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel and to discourage them from reporting any

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Transparency, empowering good officers priorities for FBI, says Kash Patel

On the eve of his confirmation hearing, US President Donald Trump's FBI director nominee Kash Patel said he has two goals for the investigative agency: transparency and letting good cops be cops. Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Trump in his administration. He will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing. I believe two foundational steps are necessary to rebuild public confidence in the FBI, Patel wrote in an op-ed in the prestigious Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. First, let good cops be cops. Leadership means supporting agents in their mission to apprehend criminals and protect our citizens. If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations at headquarters while bolstering the presence of field agents across the nation, he wrote. Collaboration with local law enforcement is crucial to fulfilling the FBI's mission, he added. Second, transparency is essential, he wrote, adding that members of

Kash Patel: A staunch Trump defender and fierce critic of FBI he could lead

TheFBI agents who searched Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate found boxes of classified documents in his office and storage room and retrieved sensitive government secrets about nuclear systems and weapons capabilities. One person unmoved by the gravity of the allegations: Kash Patel. Days after Trump's June 2023 indictment on charges of hoarding the documents, Patel insisted to listeners of his Kash's Corner podcast that Trump was permitted under a law known as the Presidential Records Act to take classified records with him when he left the White House. When you're president and you leave, you can take whatever you want, Patel said, advancing an argument later adopted by Trump's lawyers but dismissed as meritless by the Justice Department. And when you take it, whether it's classified or not, it's yours. It's but one example of how Patel positioned himself as a steadfast Trump loyalist well before the president picked him to run the FBI. An Associated Press review of more than 100

Kash Patel's confirmation hearing for FBI Director scheduled for Jan 30

Kash Patel will appear before a US Senate committee on January 30 for a confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Patel, 44, is the highest-ranking Indian-American nominated by President Donald Trump in his administration. If confirmed, he would be the first-ever Indian American to lead the most powerful American investigation agency. "The Nomination of Kashyap Pramod Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" has been scheduled for January 30, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Thursday. Patel would replace Christopher Wray. He is considered to be a loyal supporter of Trump. I love the American dream. My story's pretty simple, it's unique, and some of you share in it, Patel, the former federal prosecutor, said during an inauguration event for Trump early this week. My parents were born and raised in East Africa. My father in the 1970s fled a genocidal dictatorship in Uganda, where he saw 300,000 of his ..

FBI must be independent, above partisan fray, says outgoing director Wray

The FBI must remain independent, above the partisan fray and committed to upholding the rule of law, outgoing Director Christopher Wray said in a farewell address just days before his expected retirement at the conclusion of the Biden administration following more than seven years on the job. No matter what's happening out there, Wray said, in here, we've got to stay committed to doing our work the right way every time, with professionalism, with rigor, with integrity. That means following the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it or doesn't because trust me, if there's anything I've learned in this job, there's always someone who doesn't like you. The remarks at the packed farewell ceremony at FBI headquarters steered clear of any direct political reference, with no overt mention of President-elect Donald Trump's scathing criticism of him or the turmoil the bureau has encountered amid a spate of highly charged investigations into both Trump and President Joe Biden. But

Accused in New Orleans attack used Meta glasses to record street: FBI

The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with hands-free glasses, an FBI official said on Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Houston, also travelled to Cairo, Egypt, as well as Ontario, Canada, before the attack, although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a press conference. The attack early Wednesday was carried out by Jabbar, a former US Army soldier. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Thirteen remain hospitalized after attack The coroner's office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as blunt force injuries. About 30 other people suffered injuries. University Medical Centre New Orleans spokesperson Caroli

FBI shares video of suspect planting pipe bomb near DNC before capitol riot

A harrowing chapter in American history remains shrouded in mystery: Who planted pipe bombs outside offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in Washington on the eve of the attack on the Capitol? Hoping to generate new tips from the public, the FBI is releasing more information about its pipe bomb investigation, including an estimate that the unidentified suspect is about 5 feet 7 inches tall. The bureau also is posting previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs. A host of basic questions remains unanswered four years later. For starters, investigators haven't determined if the suspect is a man or a woman. Nor have they established a clear link between the pipe bombs and the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump's supporters. The FBI can't work on assumptions," said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the bureau's Washington field office. Without being able to confirm the suspect's identity, it is very

Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Las Vegas hotel, killing driver

Videos taken by witnesses inside and outside the hotel showed the vehicle exploding and flames pouring out of it, as it sat outside the hotel

FBI now says driver responsible for deadly New Orleans rampage acted alone

The FBI now says that the pickup truck driver responsible for a deadly rampage in New Orleans acted alone. Officials said on Wednesday that they were seeking additional potential suspects in an attack being investigated as an act of terrorism. But Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, said on Thursday that the evidence now shows that Shamsud-Din Jabbar was solely responsible for the attack and professed allegiance to the Islamic State. New Orleans pressed ahead with plans to reopen the city's famed Bourbon Street on Thursday as investigators kept digging into the background of the US Army veteran who drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revellers, killing 15 people. The FBI said it was investigating the attack, which occurred when 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar steered around a police blockade, as a terrorist act. Investigators believe the driver was inspired by the Islamic State group. Authorities recovered a black flag of

FBI finds 150 homemade bombs in Virginia in one of its largest seizures

Federal agents found one of the largest stockpiles of homemade explosives they have ever seized when they arrested a Virginia man on a firearms charge last month, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors. Investigators seized more than 150 pipe bombs and other homemade devices when they searched the home of Brad Spafford northwest of Norfolk in December, the prosecutors said in a motion filed Monday. The prosecutors wrote that this is believed to be the largest seizure by number of finished explosive devices in FBI history." Most of the bombs were found in a detached garage at the home in Isle of Wight County, along with tools and bomb-making materials including fuses and pieces of plastic pipe, according to court documents. The prosecutors also wrote: Several additional apparent pipe bombs were found in a backpack in the home's bedroom, completely unsecured," in the home he shares with his wife and two young children. Spafford, 36, was charged with possession of a firearm

Donald Trump gives allies Devin Nunes and Richard Grenell key roles

Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, served as an aide to Nunes in the US House of Representatives

FBI should have collected more intelligence before Capitol riot: Report

The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot even though the bureau did prepare for the possibility of violence on Jan 6, 2021, according to a watchdog report Thursday. It also said no undercover FBI employees were present that day and none of the bureau's informants was authorised to participate. The report from the Justice Department inspector general's office knocks down a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events that day, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the building in a violent clash with police. The review was being released nearly four years after a dark chapter in history that shook the bedrock of American democracy. Though narrow in scope, the report aims to shed light on gnawing questions that have dominated public discourse, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the ri

'Great day for America': Trump welcomes FBI Director Wray's resignation

In his statement, Trump said that the resignation will end the weaponisation of 'US Department of Injustice'

FBI Director Wray announces plan to resign, paves way for Kash Patel

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. At a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Wray said he would be stepping down after weeks of careful thought. Wray's intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Trump had picked Patel for the role in his new administration. Wray had previously been named by Trump and began the 10-year term a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations in 2017, after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey. Trump had telegraphed his anger with Wray on multiple occasions, including after Wray's congressional testimony in September. But the soft-spoken director rarely seemed to go out of his way to publicly confront the White House.

FBI warns against Chinese hackers, asks telecom firms to boost security

Federal authorities on Tuesday urged telecommunication companies to boost network security following a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. The guidance issued by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. Officials who briefed reporters on the recommendations said the US still doesn't know the true scope of China's attack or the extent to which Chinese hackers still have access to US networks. In one sign of the global reach of China's hacking efforts, the government's warning was issued jointly with security agencies in New Zealand, Australia and Canada, members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which also includes the US and Britain. Dubbed Salt Typhoon by analysts, the wide-ranging cyberespionage campaign emerged earlier this year after hackers sought

Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel wants to reshape bureau via surveillance reform

Indian American Kash Patel has been well-known for years within Donald Trump's orbit as a loyal supporter who shares the president-elect's scepticism of the FBI and intelligence community. But he's receiving fresh attention, from the public and from Congress, now that Trump has picked him to lead the FBI. As he braces for a bruising and likely protracted Senate confirmation fight, Patel can expect scrutiny not only over his professed fealty to Trump but also for his belief revealed over the last year in interviews and his own book that the century-old FBI should be radically overhauled. Here's a look at some of what he's proposed for the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. How much of it he'd actually follow through on is a separate question. He's mused about shutting down the FBI's Washington headquarters The first FBI employees moved into the current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters 50 years ago. The building since then has housed the supervisors and leaders who m

Who is Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead FBI: All you need to know

Kash Patel has called for radical changes at the FBI and was a fierce and vocal critic of the bureau's work as it investigated ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Now the steadfast Trump ally has been tapped to lead the federal law enforcement agency he's pushed to overhaul. A look Patel, Trump's pick to replace Christopher Wray atop the FBI. Side-by-side with Trump Patel has for years been a loyal ally to Trump, finding common cause over their shared skepticism of government surveillance and the deep state a pejorative catchall used by Trump to refer to government bureaucracy. He was part of a small group of supporters during Trump's recent criminal trial in New York who accompanied him to the courthouse, where he told reporters that Trump was the victim of an unconstitutional circus. That close bond would break from the modern-day precedent of FBI directors looking to keep presidents at arm's length. Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fire

FBI arrests man accused of plotting attack on New York Stock Exchange

A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to reboot the US government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI. Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with attempt to use an explosive device to damage or destroy the building used in interstate commerce. The FBI began investigating Yener in February based on a tip that he was storing bombmaking schematics in a storage unit. They found bomb-making sketches, many watches with timers, electronic circuit boards and other electronics that could be used for building explosive devices, according to the FBI. He had also searched online for things related to bomb-making since 2017, according to the FBI. Yener also told undercover FBI agents that he wanted to detonate the bomb the week before Thanksgiving and that the stock exchange in lower Manhattan would be a popular site to target. The Stock Exchange,

Trump interviewing FBI chief candidates, Vance says in later deleted post

President-elect Donald Trump is interviewing candidates for the role of FBI director, incoming Vice-President JD Vance said on Tuesday in the clearest indication yet that the new administration is looking to replace current director Christopher Wray. In a social media post that was later deleted, Vance defended his absence from a Senate vote at which a judicial nominee of President Joe Biden was confirmed by saying that at the time of the vote, "I was meeting with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director." "I tend to think it's more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45," he added on X. Vance was referring to the Senate vote on Monday to confirm Embry J Kidd, a Biden nominee to the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, a vote that he and several other Republican senators missed. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, and the Trum