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A former FBI agent who was suspended during the Biden administration and later reinstated under President Donald Trump has been removed from the bureau again, according to reporting by the New York Post.
FBI whistleblower Steve Friend was dismissed after making comments on a podcast last week that officials interpreted as a threat toward FBI Director Kash Patel, bureau sources told the outlet. The remarks were made during an appearance on a show hosted by former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin and led to Friend’s termination on Saturday, according to the sources.
Friend previously drew national attention after alleging he was improperly placed on administrative leave by then-FBI Director Christopher Wray for raising concerns about the bureau’s handling of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot investigation, which resulted in the prosecution of approximately 1,600 defendants.
Following his suspension, Friend became a media commentator and author and was publicly aligned with Patel before his recent dismissal, the New York Post reported.
Friend was originally suspended from the FBI in August 2022 and later resigned in February 2023. He returned to the FBI’s payroll on Oct. 10, though he had not resumed active duties at the Jacksonville field office because he had not yet been cleared through the required background check — a process that can be delayed in whistleblower-related cases.
During the podcast appearance, Friend promoted claims questioning the legitimacy of the arrest of Brian Cole Jr., the Virginia man charged in connection with the Jan. 5, 2021, pipe bombings near the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. Friend suggested the arrest was part of a broader cover-up.
During that discussion, Friend made remarks referencing “God’s wrath” in connection with Patel, The Post said.
“You better pray to Gaia or Vishnu or whatever your maker is, that real Steve Friend is never in a position to be an instrument of God’s wrath, because I will be merciful: I won’t give you a trial and a hanging,” he told Seraphin on Dec. 5, according to The Post. “I’ll allow you to breathe every breath that your body will have for the rest of its natural life inside of a box, and then when it ultimately fades to black, that’s when real wrath begins.”
Friend did not mention Patel by name during the podcast, but he alluded to a senior official whom he accused of orchestrating what he described as a fabricated cover-up, said the report.
Friend suggested the individual held a role in the bureau’s “executive leadership” and made references to the Hindu god Vishnu, comments that were interpreted by some listeners as a reference to Patel, who was raised Hindu, noted The Post.
A video clip shared on X on Dec. 8 by retired FBI supervisory special agent John Nantz prompted concern within the bureau, according to sources familiar with the matter. Nantz said the FBI subsequently instructed Friend to report to the office to address the remarks.
Friend has been required to report in person to the FBI’s Jacksonville field office since Monday, according to The Post.
Officials said the comments were the latest instance in which Friend’s public statements ran afoul of FBI policy, which restricts employees from speaking publicly about bureau operations or internal matters without authorization, The Post noted.
Attorneys at Empower Oversight, the legal group that previously represented Friend and secured a settlement resulting in his reinstatement and back pay, terminated their representation of him the same day the remarks were made, according to a letter from the firm.
The letter was later posted on X by Seraphin.
The letter stated that Friend’s attorneys advised him on Nov. 24 that, following his return to the FBI’s payroll, he was again subject to the bureau’s social media and public communications policies.
Despite that warning, Friend continued to publicly criticize the FBI and comment on conspiracy theories, according to the letter.
