FBI veteran accuses Kash Patel of running Trump loyalty tests.
FBI Veteran Claims Kash Patel Vetting Included Trump Loyalty Test
May 13 2026, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
A former FBI official who briefly led the bureau after President Donald Trump returned to office claims he faced political loyalty questions during his vetting and was later fired in what he calls a purge under FBI Director Kash Patel.
Brian Driscoll, the former acting FBI director, made his claims in a lawsuit along with two other former senior FBI officials, Steven Jensen and Spencer Evans.
The men accuse Patel, the FBI, and officials from the Trump administration of removing them because they were seen as not loyal enough to Trump, according to Reuters.
A compilation of Patel talking about his drinking habits.
The lawsuit states that Driscoll was questioned by Trump transition official Paul Ingrassia before the 2025 inauguration about when he started supporting Trump.
He was also asked if he had voted for Democratic candidates in the last five elections. Driscoll refused to answer those questions.
The Telegraph reported that Driscoll, suing the agency for wrongful dismissal, stated that he was asked to pledge loyalty to Trump during the vetting process.
This report surfaces as Patel faces scrutiny over his leadership of the bureau and other allegations about his conduct, which he has denied.
Driscoll, Jensen, and Evans allege that Patel conducted dismissals under pressure from the White House. Their lawsuit claims Patel told Driscoll he received orders to fire anyone involved in a criminal investigation related to Trump and that his own job depended on doing this.
“The FBI tried to put the president in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it,” Patel told Driscoll, as mentioned in the lawsuit cited by Reuters.
Driscoll briefly served as acting FBI director after Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. He later became acting deputy director before Patel took over the bureau.
Driscoll had resisted pressure to identify FBI personnel involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, according to the lawsuit.
The case also lists Jensen, the former assistant director of the FBI’s Washington field office, and Evans, the former top official in the Las Vegas field office.
The complaint states that all three men received letters of dismissal citing Article II authority and ordering their immediate removal from federal service.
Patel’s time as director has attracted attention from lawmakers and former law enforcement officials due to his close ties to Trump and his past criticisms of the FBI. He has expressed a desire for major changes at the bureau and accused previous FBI leaders of politicizing law enforcement.
Patel defends his record as FBI director during Senate hearing.
During a budget hearing, Patel faced questions from Democratic senators after The Atlantic published a report alleging excessive drinking and unexplained absences. Patel denied these allegations and filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick.
“The Atlantic’s story is a lie,” Patel told Reuters after filing the lawsuit. “They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway.”
The Atlantic stated it stands by its reporting and will defend the article in court. Reuters noted it could not independently verify the claims made in the magazine’s article.
The lawsuit filed by Driscoll and the two other former FBI officials now brings Patel’s personnel decisions under legal scrutiny. The plaintiffs argue their firings harmed their careers and violated their rights as federal employees.
The case is currently pending in federal court in Washington.