WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three former FBI agents filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleging they were targeted by a politically motivated firing campaign. Michelle Ball, Jamie Garman and Blaire Toleman named FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants in the suit.

The lawsuit argues that the agents were targeted by a retribution campaign timed to drive headlines and curry favor with political supporters, according to court filings. The suit seeks to represent all employees fired by the FBI since January 1, 2025, and those who may be terminated in the future for perceived political affiliation without being afforded due process, according to court filings.

The administration has axed more than 50 FBI employees without providing them any modicum of due process and while disparaging their reputations and service in public statements around the time of the firings, according to court filings.

The lawsuit alleges that Patel and Bondi perceived the plaintiffs as political opponents and embarked on a campaign of retribution against them, according to court filings. The lawsuit describes both Patel and Bondi as among the president's most devoted loyalists, according to court filings.

On March 3, 2025, Bondi said in an interview, "A lot of people in the FBI and also in the Department of Justice who despise Donald Trump, despise us, don't want to be here. Right now, we're going to root them out; we will find them, and they will no longer be employed."

All three former FBI special agents previously worked on a federal public corruption squad in the FBI Washington Field Office that was disbanded in May 2025. That unit aided Jack Smith's investigation into Trump, which led to two separate criminal cases: one for handling classified documents and one for efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Both criminal cases were dismissed before Trump took office in early 2025, following his 2024 election win.

Ball was fired on October 7, 2025, and her firing was timed to coincide with Bondi's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to court filings. Garman was removed from federal service on October 31, 2025.

Since taking office in early 2025, Donald Trump has removed from the FBI and the Justice Department lawyers and agents who worked on Smith's investigations without giving them an opportunity to challenge the findings. The suit is one of at least three filed by FBI agents fired under Trump.