FBI Director Kash Patel on Wednesday fired an agent in training for displaying a gay pride flag on his desk while appointed to a field office in California last year, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The trainee, who previously worked as an FBI support specialist in Los Angeles, received a letter — dated Oct. 1 and signed by Patel — claiming he had displayed an improper “political” message in the workplace during his assignment in California under President Joe Biden, according to a copy of the letter shared with MSNBC.
The letter cited President Donald Trump’s Article II powers under the Constitution to dismiss federal agency career personnel, a justification used in several recent firings at the Department of Justice and FBI. The terminations are currently being challenged in several lawsuits.
“After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment in the Los Angeles Field Office.”
FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL
“You are being summarily dismissed from your position as a New Agent Trainee at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and removed from the federal service,” read the letter, which was sent on the first day of a nationwide government shutdown that created job uncertainty throughout the federal workforce.
“After reviewing the facts and circumstances and considering your probationary status, I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment in the Los Angeles Field Office,” Patel wrote, without referencing a flag.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment about this story. MSNBC was unable to reach the fired trainee for comment and, therefore, is not identifying him. The termination over the pride flag was first reported by CNN.
Wednesday’s dismissal comes after Trump and Russell Vought, the White House director of the Office of Management and Budget, threatened widespread firings of federal employees in the event of a government shutdown.
The agent trainee, who had most recently been assigned to the FBI Academy in Quantico, won an Attorney General’s Award in 2022 in recognition of his work, according to a Justice Department news release.
News of the trainee’s firing spurred some agents in the FBI’s Washington field office to scour their work stations and social media accounts for signs or comments — anything that could be viewed as offensive to Trump, his top appointees and MAGA supporters, according to one person familiar with the reaction within the government.
FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors warned one another, ahead of Trump’s inauguration, to be careful about displaying information revealing their sexual orientation or support for LGBTQ rights.
When Trump was weeks away from inauguration in January, FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors were warning one another to be careful about displaying information revealing their own sexual orientation or support for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender rights. After the inauguration, one person said, FBI agents warned colleagues that they heard new pro-Trump appointees installed at the FBI were combing through internal employee files to find lists that identified employees as LGBTQ.
DOJ Pride, an LGBTQ employee resource group at the Department of Justice, shut down in late January, less than 10 days after Trump signed an executive order seeking to root out all diversity, equity and inclusion measures from the federal government.
The group “ceased to operate effective immediately,” DOJ Pride’s board wrote in an email sent to members at the time.
“In this time of uncertainty and concern, we have taken the extraordinary measure of ceasing operations of DOJ Pride,” the message said. “We have made this decision in the interest and for the protection of all members.”
The email, which was shared then with NBC News by two DOJ staffers, thanked members for their “understanding during this time” and expressed hope that the group could “rebuild in the future.”
The FBI’s firing of a trainee for displaying a gay pride flag on his desk last year came as more than a dozen federal agency websites trumpeted that the “radical left” had caused the government shutdown.
An ICE agent’s lies were exposed in the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Silverio Villegas González. Dr. Rashad Richey and Jamie Lowe discuss on Indisputable. Tell us what you think in the comments below.
“The fatal shooting of a Mexican immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has left a community “shaken” and in need of transparency, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on Monday, after police bodycam videos of the incident emerged. “Two weeks ago, a man was shot and killed by ICE in Franklin Park, Illinois. Shortly after, ICE issued a statement justifying the killing, saying the federal agent was ‘seriously injured,’’’ Pritzker said, referring to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.”
Broadview village officials sent a strong message to the feds this week. They do not want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operating its detention center in their town. On Thursday, Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said ICE agents are draining the resources of his department and the community by making false 911 calls.
“Dozens of federal agents raiding an entire apartment building with kids in it just to see what they can find. It’s the most egregious abuse of our basic rights as Americans I’ve seen in a long time, maybe in my lifetime,” says Chris Hayes
October 4, 1976 Earl Butz resigned as President Gerald Ford’s agriculture secretary with an apology for what he called the “gross indiscretion” of uttering a racist remark.
October 4, 1997 Demonstrations across the country occurred protesting the scheduled launch of the space probe Cassini because its power source was three plutonium-fueled Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators.The probe carried 72.3 pounds of plutonium, the most ever put on a device to be launched into space. The concern was for an accidental release in the event of a launch mishap. Plutonium is the most toxic substance known. “It is so toxic,” says Helen Caldicott, president emeritus of Physicians for Social Responsibility, “that less than one-millionth of a gram is a carcinogenic dose. One pound, if uniformly distributed, could hypothetically induce lung cancer in every person on Earth.” The Risk of Cassini Probe Plutonium An interview with Dr. Caldicott
We just crossed 2 million friends on YouTube. When I started uploading every Tuesday back in June of 2023, there were just 10,000 of us here. Now two years later, this community has grown beyond anything I could have dreamed. What’s made this whole thing special isn’t the numbers, it’s the people. From coming out to live shows, to stopping me on the street to share what a set meant to you, to showing up every single Tuesday night in the live chat you’ve turned stand up into something bigger than the stage. This milestone also reminds me what consistency in creativity and artistry can do. Upload after upload, week after week, it’s been about showing up and trusting that growth comes from staying true to the work and to the people you’re making it for. Next week I’ll be hosting @TheDailyShow Tuesday through Thursday, and to get to share that with you all feels like another step in this same journey. None of it happens without this community. From 10k to 2 million thank you for making this possible, and for growing this community together💐 —Josh
TOPEKA (KSNT) – If you’ve been outside lately you may have noticed some annoying little bugs are out and about.
The arrival of late summer and early fall brings with it an irritating insect known as the minute pirate bug. These pesky bugs, while not dangerous, have a bad habit of biting people.
Minute pirate bugs feed on everything from smaller insects to pollen grains, according to Kansas State University’s Research and Extension Office. While small in size, about as big as the head of a pin, the bugs are usually found flying around in fields. The bugs may start to move out of these areas in late summer and make themselves known by biting people.
“Though small, these insects have a surprisingly painful bite. They use their short, blunt beak to try to probe into the skin. They do not feed on blood, inject a venom or saliva, or transmit any disease.”Kansas State University Research and Extension Office publication excerpt
A minute pirate bug. (Getty Images)
People bitten by the bugs may find themselves covered in reddened skin, experience swelling or become itchy. K-State reports that repellents aren’t usually effective against the bugs but instead recommends wearing long darker-colored clothes to appear less attractive to them.
While minute pirate bugs might be annoying, they are very beneficial to the local environment. Minute pirate bugs feed on other insects, such as aphids and caterpillars, which helps manage garden areas. (snip-a bit MORE)
(Needless to say, state Republican legislators, with their supermajority here, are working to gerrymander her district to oblivion before the midterm filing deadline.)
The letter includes links for answers and help regarding the shutdown, seen below. If you click, those links will help all; Rep. Davids is a U.S. Rep and these are U.S. resources.
My actual rep did not send anything today. Over the weekend he referred to the “Schumer Shutdown” as if it was an inevitability; I’m sure he saw it that way as he’s all in on this administration’s actions (yep, Republican.) Anyway, here is this:
I know many people are worried and upset about this government shutdown. I am doing everything I can to push for a bipartisan solution to end this crisis as quickly as possible. I understand Kansans are frustrated with Washington and are demanding solutions instead of more partisanship.
Right now, many government agencies unfortunately may be operating with limited staff. This will impact a variety of crucial services people depend on. My team created this web page to help answer questions, connect people with assistance, and to ask for your thoughts.
This is an evolving situation, so my team will continue to update this page as events warrant. Please know that we’re here to help however we possibly can. You can find the below menu to get answers to your questions. Please also feel free to call my office at (913) 621-0832.
Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died
By HALLIE GOLDEN – Associated Press Updated 37 minutes ago
Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death Wednesday in an Instagram post. According to the Washington, D.C.-based institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a U.S. speaking tour.
Her discoveries “revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” it said. (snip-MORE on the page)
Scottie's Playtime 