COVID whistleblower FBI agent fired for unauthorized media interactions

A former FBI agent and Covid-era whistleblower who was recently reinstated under President Donald Trump was fired on Friday, according to a report.

The FBI fired Steve Friend for “unprofessional conduct and poor judgment,” according to a copy of the termination letter published on X by New York Post columnist Miranda Devine. An FBI source confirmed the firing but did not elaborate, saying it was a personal matter.

The FBI stated in its letter that Friend “engaged in unauthorized interactions with the media, publicly identified media sources, and made public comments about FBI matters and ongoing FBI investigations.”

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Friend was first suspended by the FBI in August 2022 and resigned in February 2023. He was reappointed last September.

In the letter, the FBI stated that in November Friend “disseminated media sources and photographs identifying the alleged subject and discussed the alleged matter on your podcast, despite the lack of reliable, verifiable evidence necessary to publicly identify the subject.”

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Friend said his firing was retaliation from FBI Director Kash Patel and was related to criticism of the bureau’s recent arrest in the Jan. 6, 2021 pipe bomb case.

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Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent and recently reinstated COVID-era whistleblower Steve Friend was fired on Friday, according to a report. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)

His friend’s firing from the Bureau came after his lawyers at Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research dropped him as a client on December 5.

The nonprofit said in a letter to Friend that by publicly commenting on FBI matters, the Bureau ignored its recommendations “at the risk of further adverse administrative action.”

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The FBI fired whistleblower Steve Friend on December 12, according to a report. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP)

“In light of your apparent reluctance to follow the free professional advice we have given you, we are further convinced that our previously expressed inability to represent you in any legal matter other than your reinstatement is warranted,” the nonprofit wrote. “We are no longer willing or able to spend any further time and resources representing your interests or providing proactive counsel.”