The FBI suspended an analyst once described by Kash Patel as a ‘deep state’ actor in a book he wrote in 2023.
The New York Times first reported the move by the agency Patel now leads to place Brian Auten on administrative leave, citing people familiar with the matter.
No official reason has been given for the dismissal of Auten, who worked on investigations related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop.
The FBI declined to comment, citing its longstanding practice on not giving public statements regarding personnel matters.
Patel included Auten on a list of roughly 60 alleged actors for the ‘deep state’ in his 2023 book, ‘Government Gangsters.’
Patel denounced the FBI analyst by name, writing: ‘The fact that Auten was not fired from the FBI and prosecuted for his part in the Russia Gate conspiracy is a national embarrassment.’
President Donald Trump and his closest allies have spent the last eight years talking about how to dismantle this so-called shadowy group of unelected bureaucrats hellbent on sabotaging MAGA policies.
Patel, who became the FBI director on February 20, has made it clear in the past that he believes the Russia investigation was a hoax.
In the same 2023 book where he called out Auten, Patel also accused the FBI of trying to ‘hide and spin’ the contents on Hunter Biden’s laptop that ultimately pointed to ‘Biden family corruption.’
Patel claimed Auten tried to ‘discredit any derogatory information about Hunter Biden by falsely claiming that none of it was true.’ The content of the laptop were first reported by the New York Post in 2020, when Joe Biden was running for president.
Patel went through a grueling confirmation process in the Senate, where Democrats grilled him about his partisan loyalty to Trump and his previous statements saying he would shut down FBI headquarters on day one as director.
But much of the questioning centered on the ‘deep state’ list, which Democrats characterized as Patel’s enemies list. He vehemently denied this every time it was brought up.
‘It’s a total mischaracterization,’ he told senators, before later adding: ‘There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI, should I be confirmed as FBI director.’
Given Auten was on the opposite side of particularly the Russia investigation from Patel, there has been questions about the circumstances of his suspension.
However, Auten was among a number of FBI employees disciplined for their mistakes in obtaining a secret surveillance warrant involving a former Trump campaign adviser.
He had been suspended for 30 days at the time, but was moved out of the counterintelligence division entirely after Patel became the director.
The Justice Department’s Inspector General’s office found that FBI officials were justified in opening the Russia investigation, nor did it find any evidence the probe was politically motivated.
The move to oust Auten comes as pardoned January 6 rioters are upset that Patel appointed agency veteran Steven Jensen his assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office.
Initially, supporters tried to play off the report as ‘fake news’, but the appointment became undeniable when Patel himself shared an X post addressing the rumor.
Richard Barnett, who was sentenced to 54 months in prison for his involvement before Trump pardoned him, lashed out at the decision on X.
‘The anger and depression is hitting hard today,’ he wrote.
He went on to accuse both Patel and his Deputy Director Dan Bongino of ‘stabbing us in the back.’
He said they ‘actually promoted one of our tormenters, Steve Jensen, into a position of great power within the FBI.’
Another said Patel and Bongino ‘owe The People an explanation about the promotion of Steven Jensen – who obviously hates Trump voters – to one of the most powerful FBI positions in America.’
Philip Anderson, who describes himself as a ‘January 6 survivor’, was equally critical.
‘Dan Bongino and Kash Patel betrayed us all,’ he wrote. ‘They promoted Steven Jensen who viciously persecuted J6ers.