FBI turns over names of 5,000 employees who worked on J6 cases after DOJ demand

On Tuesday, FBI officials sent a list of thousands of employees who worked on January 6-related investigations to the Department of Justice. This comes as several FBI employees the same day sued the DOJ over accusations of violations of the Constitution and privacy laws.

Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that over 5,000 names were submitted to the DOJ. There are over 38,000 total employees at the bureau. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove gave in a Friday email titled, "Terminations," a deadline of noon on February 4 to deliver the list.

The lawsuit claimed that agencies were demanded to complete a survey that was allegedly designed to "purge" FBI personnel. The FBI employees are seeking for a judge to block the Trump administration from releasing the surveys or any information included in their answers. The suit alleged, "The very act of compiling lists of persons who worked on matters that upset Donald Trump is retaliatory in nature, intended to intimidate FBI agents and other personnel, and to discourage them from reporting any future malfeasance and by Donald Trump and his agents."

The survey included questions about FBI employee’s roles at the bureau and their roles within the J6 investigations, including whether they carried out arrests, participated in grand jury investigations, or testified at trials. The suit has been brought forth by anonymous FBI employees as a class-action suit.

Bove on Friday ordered Driscoll to compile all the names of those FBI agents who were involved "at any time" with the J6 investigations “to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary." The memo to Driscoll added, “These lists should include relevant supervisory personnel in FBI regional offices and field divisions, as well as at FBI Headquarters." Driscoll replied, "We understand that this request encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts. I am one of those employees, as is acting Deputy Director (Rob) Kissane."