The FBI has issued subpoenas for the phone records of Kash Patel and Susie Wiles, two civilians, related to an ongoing federal probe into Donald Trump, as confirmed by reports. Patel is currently serving as the FBI director, and Wiles holds the position of White House chief of staff.
In a separate development, several FBI employees were reportedly terminated on Wednesday, although their identities have not been released for privacy reasons.
The subpoenas, initiated during the Biden administration, were revealed by Reuters. They are part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and also his management of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Smith ultimately charged Trump in 2023 with various felonies pertaining to his efforts to challenge the 2020 election outcomes and how he handled documents post-presidency. However, a federal judge later dismissed the case after Smith requested the dismissal of the election interference lawsuit, citing the Justice Department’s stance against prosecuting sitting presidents.
Additionally, Smith retracted the Justice Department’s appeal regarding another case involving classified documents. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing concerning these matters.
In response to the seizure of phone records, Patel described the actions as “outrageous and deeply disturbing.” He expressed concerns over how past FBI leadership allegedly used dubious justifications to secretly obtain his and Wiles’ phone records, claiming the process was concealed in a manner intended to avoid proper scrutiny.
According to Reuters, the FBI discovered the call records within a file marked “Prohibited.”
Patel also mentioned that the FBI has recently terminated its practice of classifying files in this way.
Smith noted last year that the collection of phone records from members was instrumental in piecing together the timeline of events regarding the January 6 Capitol riot. He affirmed that prosecutors adhered to all legal protocols in acquiring these records, clarifying that the obtained records did not include the actual content of conversations, as reported by Reuters.
This story is still unfolding, and further updates will be provided as new information becomes available.
