FBI Supervisor Involved in Mar-a-Lago Search Fired Mid-Appeal

An FBI supervisor whose team participated in the 2022 search for classified documents at President’s rump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was suddenly dismissed on Thursday, while his appeal of an earlier firing for misconduct related to personal messages on Skype was still pending, several law enforcement sources tell The New York Sun. The dismissal occurred just as FBI director Kash Patel remained embroiled in a bitter fight with the Atlantic magazine over its unflattering coverage of his tenure, sources tell the New York Sun. FBI supervisory special agent Rick Landry, who had been with the bureau for more than 18 years, was originally fired in January by the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility for alleged misconduct related to an audit of his personal messages on Skype, a messaging platform, but had appealed that dismissal, sources tell the Sun. On Thursday, Mr. Landry was in the middle of that appeals process when Mr. Patel’s leadership team, upon hearing Mr. Landry’s dismissal was still pending, fired him before the appeal had been resolved, sources tell the Sun.In 2022, Mr. Landry was the FBI Evidence Response Team leader at the Miami field office when the Biden administration’s Justice Department executed a search warrant at Mr. Trump’s residence in Palm Beach, as part of its investigation into the then-former President’s retention of classified documents. The reasoning behind his dismissal mirrors Mr. Patel’s decision to dismiss members of a counterintelligence unit that focused on national security threats from Iran for “violating their ethical obligations.” An FBI spokesman declined to answer questions, saying the bureau does not comment on personnel decisions. Unlike other federal employees, most FBI agents cannot appeal their firing with the Merit Systems Protection Board unless they qualify for exceptions like being a preference-eligible veteran. Advocacy groups like the FBI Agents Association have called on Congress to extend MSPB rights to FBI personnel to ensure “fairness, accountability, and consistency.”Mr. Landry’s dismissal occurred around the same time Mr. Patel was engaged in a bitter back-and-forth with the Atlantic magazine over its damning coverage of the 46-year-old’s alleged alcohol abuse, “erratic” leadership, and fondness for bottles of high-end whiskey bearing his personal branding. Mr. Patel has since filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine and Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick.Mr. Patel has been accused in the past of timing the firings of FBI agents for their roles in investigations involving Mr. Trump to distract from unflattering media coverage. Earlier this year, Mr. Patel fired several agents from a counterintelligence unit in the FBI’s Washington Field Office that focused on media leaks, global espionage, and threats involving several countries, including the Iranian regime, for their involvement in Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s investigation into Mr. Trump. Those firings took place just days before the U.S. military and Israel launched their joint attack on Iran.At the time, Mr. Patel had been under scrutiny after videos circulated on social media showing him guzzling beer alongside members of the USA Men’s Hockey team inside their locker room after they captured their first Olympic gold medal since 1980.Mr. Patel would later testify before the House Intelligence Committee that he fired those agents “for violating their ethical standards.”“They are internal investigations conducted by the careers at the FBI that highlight unethical or inappropriate conduct, and it’s up to me to make the decision,” Mr. Patel later testified. FBI spokesman Ben Williamson would later specify on X that only three of at least the dozen staffers fired at the time “actually worked the Iran issue,” adding that it was “total BS” to suggest their dismissals were “devastating to the Iran program.”Mr. Landry did not respond to questions from the Sun on LinkedIn.

FBI Supervisor Involved in Mar-a-Lago Search Fired Mid-Appeal

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