FBI Fires Analyst Involved in 2017 Congressional Shooting Assessment

FBI Director Kash Patel terminated the employment of senior intelligence analyst Emily Morales last week, following her involvement in the FBI’s 2017 assessment of the motives behind the shooting at a House Republican baseball practice. This assessment did not classify the incident as domestic terrorism, which drew criticism from Republican lawmakers. Sources familiar with the situation indicated that Morales received a termination letter from Patel on Friday and was escorted out by FBI security, a standard procedure. It remains unclear if her dismissal was directly linked to her role in the assessment. Inside the bureau, her removal is viewed as part of a trend of dismissals of nonpartisan agents who have faced backlash from President Donald Trump or Republican officials. In June 2017, James Hodgkinson opened fire during the baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, injuring four individuals, including Congressman Steve Scalise. Although Hodgkinson had expressed anti-Republican sentiments and was found with a list of Republican lawmakers, the FBI initially did not categorize him as a domestic terrorist. A subsequent statement from the FBI in 2021 acknowledged the shooting as motivated by a desire to attack members of Congress, later characterizing it as a domestic terrorism event. The FBI has declined to comment on personnel matters.