Trump's FBI overhaul begins as Acting Director Brian Driscoll puts 'untouchable' feds on notice: former agent
President Donald Trump has promised to usher in a new era in America's top investigative unit — the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — with day one changes being implemented as key senior roles were reassigned.
The agency's shakeup began when former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was nominated by Trump in his first administration, announced last month that he would step down from his post. Hours before Trump was sworn in, acting director Paul Abbate similarly stepped down.
The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the matter, that the longtime head of the Justice Department’s office of international affairs, Bruce Swartz, was reassigned along with as many as 20 other staffers.
On Monday, the White House announced Brian Discoll as acting director of the FBI. Driscoll’s time as acting director will presumably end when Kashyap "Kash" Patel is confirmed as the FBI’s next director by the U.S. Senate.
Throughout former President Biden's term, the FBI was entangled in repeated scandals, prompting President Trump to promise to root out corruption in the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
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Former FBI agent and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker told Fox News Digital that Abbate's retirement was a "good idea."
"He had to have known that his days were likely very much numbered," she said. "It's been widely publicized and well known that Paul Abbate was involved in pushing the raid at Mar-a-Lago. Also, he was very involved in pushing the Jan. 6 misdemeanor cases that were worked rigorously at the FBI."
"I imagine that he knew, rather than being removed upon Trump's arrival, that it might be best in his interest to just move on. And I think that probably was a good idea on his part," she said.
On day one, President Trump signed a memorandum titled "Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives." He asserted that federal employees are able to be fired.
"I came from the private sector before the FBI, and I noticed such a contrast. The private sector, if you're not doing your job, of course you're going to get fired. But when you come to the federal government, there was almost this mood of, you know, we're untouchable," Parker said.
"And I really believe that those days are over. You are working for the American taxpayers. It is their taxpayer dollars that need to be put to good use. And if you're not doing your job, you really should be removed," she said. "I do believe that there will be people who may not be on board with Trump's plans, and they'll choose to walk away on their own."
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Discroll is now heading the agency as Patel begins his Senate confirmation process. Patel's Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
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Discroll, a veteran of the agency, joined in 2007, according to a statement on the White House’s website. Robert Kissane, the top counterterrorism agent in New York, will serve as acting deputy director, the White House said.
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Prior to being appointed as acting director, Discroll most recently served as the special agent in charge of the Newark Field Office. He also previously served as the commander of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Critical Incident Response Group's (CIRG) Tactical Section chief.
"I think it's good for the FBI, for somebody who has such an amazing background with tactical experience and HRT," retired FBI agent Scott Duffey told Fox News Digital. "It's a tall order, and I wish him well."
Before his career in the FBI, he was a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the agency said in a release. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Villanova University and a master's degree in public policy and international relations from Pepperdine University.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and the Department of Justice for comment.
Fox News' Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.