FBI agents “who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner” while investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol are not at risk of being fired, a top Justice Department official said in a memo to the bureau workforce obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

But the memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove also provides no reassurances for any agents found to have “acted with corrupt or partisan intent” and suggests those employees, if there any, have reason to be concerned about a massive and highly unusual review process the Trump administration Justice Department is embarking upon to identify what it says is potential misconduct.

The message from Bove, which also accuses acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll of “insubordination,” is aimed at providing a measure of clarity following days of turmoil and uncertainty inside the bureau as a result of an extraordinary Justice Department demand on Friday for the names of agents who participated in the investigations. Many within the FBI had seen that request as a precursor for mass firings.

“Let me be clear: No FBI employee who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner with respect to January 6 investigations is at risk of termination or other penalties,” wrote Bove, who was previously part of Donald Trump’s legal team in his criminal cases. “The only individuals who should be concerned about the process initiated by my January 31, 2025 memo are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent, who blatantly defied orders from Department leadership, or who exercised discretion in weaponizing the FBI.”

Thousands of FBI employees who participated in investigations related to the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of then-President Trump’s supporters were subsequently asked to complete in-depth questionnaires about their involvement in the inquiries as the new Trump administration Justice Department weighs disciplinary actions.

(AP)