Top F.B.I. Agent in New York Vows to ‘Dig In’ After Removals at Agency

The New York Times ^ | Feb. 2, 2025, 1:30 p.m. ET | Adam Goldman, William K. Rashbaum, Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The top agent at the F.B.I.’s New York City field office vowed in a defiant email to his staff to “dig in” after the Trump administration targeted officials involved in the investigations into the Jan. 6 attack — and praised the bureau’s interim leaders for defending its independence.

“Today, we find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the F.B.I. and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and F.B.I. policy,” wrote James E. Dennehy, a veteran and highly-respected agent who has run the largest and most important field office in the bureau since last September.

An F.B.I. spokeswoman declined to comment on internal bureau communications.

The email came after the Justice Department ordered the F.B.I. on Friday to collect the names of bureau personnel who helped investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, raising the possibility that Mr. Trump’s political appointees plan to purge career bureau officials, including rank-and-file field agents. That number could reach 6,000 — or about a sixth of the bureau’s 38,000 employees, according to the F.B.I.

At least nine high-ranking officials have been forced out since Trump’s inauguration, plunging the bureau into confusion. Mr. Dennehy wrote that those removals had spread “fear and angst within the F.B.I. ranks.”

Mr. Dennehy urged his employees to remain calm, and not make any rushed decisions about their careers, and he committed to providing assistance to them no matter what happened.

“Time for me to dig in,” he wrote.

In an extraordinary gesture, Mr. Dennehy, a former Marine, praised the two top acting officials at the F.B.I. — Brian Driscoll and Robert C. Kissane — for “fighting” for the bureau’s employees. Both resisted efforts to immediately oust career employees, and...

[Army Air Corps]

I like that idea. Send him the least desirable office.

[DownInFlames]

Psssst, you work for Trump.

[bill andersen]

see post 15

[niteowl77]

...James E. Dennehy, a veteran and highly-respected agent...

(in my finest Inspector Clouseau-esque voice)
"Not anymore."

[OHPatriot]

Agree, FIRE this arrogant bastard and impoverish him AND his family.

Sippenhaft for ALL FIBs.

[Army Air Corps]

“We can’t find your employee file in the system. We are working on the issue...”

[sergeantdave]

So tell us, Mr. Dennehy, a former Marine, why the FBI tried to purge Marines from the FBI?

I don’t recall that Mr. Dennehy, a former Marine, pushed back against that policy.

[BobL]

” a veteran and highly-respected agent who has run the largest and most important field office in the bureau since last September.”

I wonder how many times they said the same when the FBI was investigating Democrats.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

“Highly respected”. Sure. Only by those tyrants that he did their illegal bidding for. Nobody respects the three letter agencies anymore because they turned against the people. Can only hope people like this can be dug out and discarded and we can get professionals back in there.

[Getready]

Dig in...like a tick. Reassign them to find out who is pooping in the streets. Then they can be joyful cause they are doing their job and and following protocol.
“Joy comes in the Morning”

[Recompennation]

Something about fighting an F-16 wasn’t it?

[Third Person]

coming soon... FBI: Extreme Makeover

hosted by Kash Patel

[Reily]

An FBI position is an “Excepted Service” civil service appointment. They serve at the pleasure of the executive he hasn’t a legal leg to stand on. He’s bloviating so Ratland-sympathetic organization or company will hire him.

[cgbg]

A science station in Antarctica has just suffered a vicious penguin attack.

A few dozen FBI officials need to be detailed there to investigate immediately!

:-)

[Gnome1949]

The FBI is NOT INDEPENDENT. It is part of the executive branch reporting to the President. Everyone in the FBI works for the President or they can HIT THE ROAD.

[rlmorel]

"...wrote James E. Dennehy, a veteran and highly-respected agent..."

When the New York Times calls you a "highly-respected agent" and you are resisting the efforts of the sitting President to de-poliiticize your department, you are not "highly respected".

[Secret Agent Man]

So glad he poked his head up. He’ll be gone shortly.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

In that case, they were rogue agents acting illegally. /sarc

[Secret Agent Man]

This is how he secure fame after firing. He knows hes going. He wants a new career and thismis the way hes doing it.

[TalBlack]

How, exactly, does this ass think he can dig in?