Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel told lawmakers that about 10 agents who worked on the investigation into President Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate were fired for violating the bureau's ethics rules. He said the dismissals followed internal investigations conducted by career officials and that the final decision rested with him.

Patel declined to detail the alleged misconduct, citing pending litigation. The agents have not yet filed lawsuits, though other employees dismissed earlier in his tenure have challenged their terminations in court.

The firings have drawn scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers and from within the bureau, where many view the move as retaliation against officials involved in past prosecutions of Trump. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association has said the agents were dismissed without due process, contradicting Patel's account.