FBI veterans form support group to help employees deal with Kash Patel

Former bureau officials have created the FBI Support Network, an organization designed to provide legal, mental health and job search assistance to current bureau employees struggling under what they characterize as a politically motivated restructuring of the agency under Director Kash Patel.

The initiative, an offshoot of the Justice Connection organization comprised of former Justice Department employees, emerged in response to what former officials describe as unprecedented strain within the bureau, reported the New York Times.

"There's an incredible amount of tension inside the agency right now," said Michael Mason, a former senior executive. "People are being fired without any due process as the Justice Department is being weaponized in a way that is totally unfamiliar to those of us who served long and distinguished careers there."

The network includes Brian Driscoll, who served briefly as acting FBI director in early 2025 and clashed repeatedly with the administration until he was fired in August.

"It's time for those of us who served our country with the F.B.I. to offer our assistance to the special agents, intelligence analysts and the professional staff who are under attack," Driscoll said in announcing the group.

Patel has consistently denied firing agents for political reasons, claiming terminations target individuals biased against the president. However, his statements have triggered angry confrontations during congressional hearings, with Democratic lawmakers accusing him of dishonesty.

Former counterintelligence agent Michael Feinberg criticized the transformation, emphasizing that law enforcement should remain apolitical.

“You investigate threats and prosecute criminals without fear or favor," Feinberg said. "Seeing that norm not just eroded but purposely destroyed is fundamentally changing the nature and culture of the FBI.”

He added that Patel's denials demonstrated a "wide gulf" between the director's public statements and what FBI employees see on the job.

“I think the way a lot of employees feel right now is that at least some senior career executives have been willing to compromise with Kash Patel in those matters in an effort to secure their own employment," Feinberg said. "It’s difficult to articulate how much of a betrayal of the FBI ethos this is.”