The FBI has complied with the demands of the Trump Department of Justice, providing it with over 5,000 names of FBI agents who worked on cases related to Jan. 6, people familiar with the situation told CNN on Tuesday.
The list has caused a stir in Washington, as agents fear the Trump administration may use it to fire them.
Names added to the list began on Friday when Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a memo to FBI officials with the subject line: "Terminations."
“Upon receipt of the requested information," Bove wrote, "the office of the deputy attorney general will, commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary."
According to CNN, FBI officials were told to submit the names of thousands of agents and analysts who worked on Jan. 6 cases in some capacity by noon, Tuesday.
The memo to FBI leaders was sent immediately after Bove's firing of eight senior FBI officials.
By Tuesday, FBI employees sued the Justice Department, accusing it of acting unconstitutionally. It was, they argue, a violation of their right to privacy to have their co-workers divulge the names of Bureau employees in an effort allegedly designed to "purge" the agency.
The agents requested a judge block the release of names.
"The very act of compiling lists of persons," the lawsuit read, "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 future malfeasance by Donald Trump and his agents."
While Bove's "Termination" memo indicates that there may indeed be a purge at the agency, President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, has vowed not to seek retribution.
"I have no interest, no desire and will not, if confirmed, go backwards," Patel told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing. "There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken."