Trump White House Exerts Enormous Influence Over FBI, Lawsuit Says NYT | Top Stories By: Alan Feuer and Glenn Thrush 11 September 2025 at 01:19 A sprawling suit by three fired F.B.I. officials provides a disturbing account of efforts by top Trump aides to strip the bureau of its independence. © Francis Chung/Politico, via AP ImagesA lawsuit filed by three former F.B.I. officials charges the bureau director Kash Patel dismissed them as part of “a campaign of retribution” for their “failure to demonstrate sufficient personal and political loyalty.”