The FBI’s top official in New York, James Dennehy, resigned on Monday after being ordered to retire without explanation from Washington, D.C. His sudden departure follows accusations from the Department of Justice that his office concealed documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Dennehy, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the FBI after the September 11 attacks, informed his colleagues at the agency’s New York Field Office about his resignation in a letter.
“Late Friday, I was informed that I needed to put my retirement papers in today, which I just did. I was not given a reason for this decision,” he wrote in the message, which was obtained by ABC News and other media outlets.
He expressed regret over the abrupt nature of his resignation but praised his coworkers as “an office of professionals who will always do the right thing for the right reasons.”
Dennehy’s departure is the latest in a series of high-profile resignations and removals from the FBI since the Trump administration took office.
Dennehy had previously clashed with Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, and last month, he sent an internal email voicing support for officials who had been removed from investigations related to the January 6 Capitol riot.
JUST IN: James E. Dennehy has resigned from his position as the head of the New York Field Office. pic.twitter.com/RazgtKs3NS
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) March 3, 2025
“Today, we find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the FBI and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and FBI policy,” the email read.
The controversy surrounding the Epstein case deepened last week when the anticipated release of the Epstein Files did not unfold as expected. Instead of a public press conference summarizing key findings, the White House distributed binders to select influencers and independent media figures. Those who received the binders were reportedly instructed not to promote the release and were unable to immediately share the contents due to an embargo.
As a result, much of the public and media spent the day speculating about the contents before information was gradually released online. However, many of the disclosed documents had already been made public in prior releases, leading to frustration and criticism.
The rollout sparked backlash against those who received the binders, as well as the Attorney General’s office and the FBI. The House Judiciary GOP even posted a misleading link claiming to provide access to the Epstein Files, which instead directed users to Rick Astley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had initially announced the release, later revealed that the FBI’s Southern District of New York office had withheld thousands of documents despite her request for all Epstein-related materials.
In a letter addressed to Patel, Bondi stated that before his confirmation, she had requested “the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein.” In response, she received only 200 pages, consisting of flight logs, contacts, and victim names and phone numbers.
She further noted that she had “repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to her request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents.”
However, on Wednesday, Bondi learned from a source that the FBI’s New York Field Office had thousands of pages of additional documents related to Epstein’s investigation and indictment. These files were neither disclosed to her nor provided upon request.
She demanded that Patel ensure the delivery of all remaining Epstein-related materials to her office by Friday morning. This includes “all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.”
This situation continues to develop, and further updates are expected.