The FBI employee was fired on the first day of the government shutdown as Trump threatened more terminations.

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.

  • snooggums@piefed.world
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    10 hours ago

    Acknowledging people exist isn’t political. Regressives act like it is, but it isn’t.

    A pride flag on a desk is like having pictures of your kids on your desk.

    • NABDad@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Acknowledging people exist isn’t political.

      It would be much a nicer world to live in if that was true.

      EVERYTHING is political, and we live in a world where fascists make existence a political issue.