Federal Law Enforcement

The FBI terminated former special agent and COVID‑era whistleblower Steve Friend on Dec. 12, citing 'unprofessional conduct and poor judgment' and alleging unauthorized media interactions and public commentary on ongoing investigations, according to a termination letter posted publicly and confirmed by an FBI source. Friend, who was suspended in 2022, resigned in 2023 and reinstated in September 2025, had recently been dropped by his attorneys at Empower Oversight for ignoring advice to stop public comments; he called the firing retaliation by FBI Director Kash Patel.