FBI Director Fires Senior Analyst In 2017 GOP Baseball Shooting Case
FBI Director Kash Patel fired Deputy Assistant Director Emily Morales on Friday, May 22, 2026; she was escorted out of the bureau, officials said.[1]
Morales had worked on the FBI's 2017 assessment of the Alexandria, Virginia, shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice that wounded Rep. Steve Scalise and others.[1] The removal is being viewed inside the FBI as part of a pattern of politically driven firings that has included the removal of former Intelligence Directorate head Tonya Ugoretz.[1]
Former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll and other former agents have sued the bureau and Patel, alleging they were fired for political reasons.[1] The FBI Agents Association has called many of the recent firings illegal, heightening internal tensions and fueling ongoing legal battles over the bureau's personnel decisions.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, May 22, 2026, Deputy Assistant Director Emily Morales received a firing letter from FBI Director Kash Patel and was escorted out of the bureau.
- Morales worked on the FBI’s 2017 assessment of the Alexandria, Virginia, shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice that wounded Rep. Steve Scalise and others.
- The move is viewed inside the FBI as part of a pattern of politically driven firings, alongside prior removals of officials such as former Intelligence Directorate head Tonya Ugoretz.
- Former acting FBI director Brian Driscoll and other former agents are suing the bureau and Patel, alleging they were fired for political reasons, while the FBI Agents Association has called many of the firings illegal.
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