Three former FBI officials have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging they were unlawfully dismissed as part of a “campaign of retribution” for not showing sufficient loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, names as defendants the FBI, FBI Director Kash Patel, the Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Executive Office of the President, and the federal government.

According to the complaint, the three officials—who had decades of service—were fired on August 8 through “cursory, single-page letters” that violated federal law and the US Constitution. The plaintiffs argue that they were punished for refusing to politicize the FBI and for resisting efforts to shield Trump from investigations.

The complaint specifically accuses Patel of prioritizing political loyalty over national security. “Patel not only acted unlawfully but deliberately chose to politicize the FBI, degrading the country’s security by dismissing three of its most experienced operational leaders,” it stated.

One of the plaintiffs, Brian J. Driscoll, briefly served as acting FBI director earlier this year. The filing alleges that Driscoll was pressured to hand over a list of nearly 6,000 FBI personnel connected to the January 6 Capitol riot probe. Patel allegedly warned Driscoll that “the FBI tried to put the President in jail and he hasn’t forgotten it.”

The lawsuit highlights a broader clash between Trump and federal law enforcement. Trump has long accused the FBI and Justice Department of politically motivated investigations, including probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the January 6 insurrection, and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.