Two agents are being told to leave the Federal Bureau of Investigation, The New York Times reported.
Brian Driscoll, who previously served as acting director of the FBI, was told to leave by Friday, sources told the Times. No reason has been given for Driscoll's ouster.
During his brief tenure as director, Driscoll strongly refused a Department of Justice order to aid in the firing of agents involved in prosecuting those who took part in the Jan. 6 unrest at the Capitol in 2021.
Driscoll reportedly sent out a memo letting staff know that he was ordered to remove the FBI executives and turn over the names of every FBI employee involved in Capitol cases. Driscoll did not clarify whether he would turn over the full list of Jan. 6-related names — a list that he noted encompasses thousands of FBI employees, including himself.
"DOJ came over and wanted to fire a bunch of J6 agents. Driscoll is an absolute stud," an FBI agent told NBC News at the time. "Held his ground and told WH proxy, DOJ, to F*** off."
Driscoll now serves as assistant director of the Bureau's Critical Incident Response Group. His predecessor was previously pushed out, the Times reported.
Walter Giardina, who was involved in several investigations related to President Donald Trump, is also being removed, the Times reported. Giardina has faced criticism from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for his anti-Trump bias.
It is unknown if other FBI agents are being removed.
The FBI declined a request for comment.
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