FBI forms 'payback squad' to target Trump's political opponents: Report
For many, a word cloud for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may feature "justice" and "crime-fighters" in a prominent size. But a recent report threatens to challenge that perception, claiming that the agency constituted a "team of special agents" that's tasked with handling politically sensitive cases. An exclusive report by the News of the United States (NOTUS) claimed that the "payback squad" will be responsible for pursuing political targets set by the Trump administration. One of the officials told NOTUS that the squad's reference point is the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey.
The Republicans enabling Trump don't care about helping Americans pay back their loans or credit cards. They only care about paying back his political enemies. pic.twitter.com/0GXLlpywue
— Majority Democrats (@MajorityDems) May 13, 2026
The development, if true, represents an unprecedented shift in the role of America's premier investigating agency. It raises several questions around the Trump administration's use of government bodies; it threatens to compromise the Bureau's autonomy, and may lead it to become a politicized arm of executive vengeance.
NOTUS quoted a senior FBI official as saying that the squad's official name is the "Director’s Advisory Team," adding that it was created a year ago to look into the abuse of power in the last three presidential administrations. It also reported that the squad is working on a case to indict former CIA Director John Brennan.
It is particularly noteworthy that the squad is alluding to Comey's case to target the rest of President Trump's opponents. He was indicted recently for the second time over an Instagram post of seashells depicting '86-47', which was interpreted as a threat to take the President's life.
Comey, on his part, dismissed the charges but was prescient enough to advise several key Democrats to lawyer up in order to deal with Trump's "vengeance campaign." He told CNN the process is the punishment for the political opponents of the Trump administration, adding that he expects to be indicted in the future. "Trump, for whatever reason, is obsessed with retribution in general," Comey averred.
Kash Patel has gutted FBI field offices, bungled investigations, and – according to numerous accounts – misused government resources to party around the world. Americans are less safe with Patel at the helm of our federal law enforcement.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) May 13, 2026
The news also throws Kash Patel's contentious tenure as the FBI's director into the spotlight. Many critics have questioned whether he is fit to lead the agency after several reports in the last few weeks indicated that his firing may be imminent.
24 sources told The Atlantic that Kash Patel’s heavy drinking impeded his ability to do his job. He denied it.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) May 12, 2026
He also told provable lies during this hearing.
And at the end, he refused to acknowledge that is a crime to lie to Congress.
It is. https://t.co/fswsG8NQCq
Patel appeared in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, where he bickered with lawmakers when asked about his excessive drinking. Multiple Democratic lawmakers raised doubts over his alleged behavior at work. Patel denied these assertions and claimed that the agency has flourished under his leadership, as evidenced by lower crime rates and high-profile arrests.
