FBI fires a dozen after Biden-era subpoenas of Patel, Wiles come to light

The FBI allegedly subpoenaed Patel's and Wiles' records in 2022 and 2023 while they were private citizens.

Patel now serves as the director of the FBI, and Wiles serves as the White House chief of staff.

The names of the fired bureau employees were not shared due to privacy reasons, and the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) criticized the firings earlier in the week. 

"The FBIAA condemns today's unlawful termination of FBI special agents, which - like other firings by Director Patel - violates the due process rights of those who risk their lives to protect our country," the organization said in a statement.

"These actions weaken the bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the workforce, undermining trust in leadership and jeopardizing the Bureau's ability to meet its recruitment goals, ultimately putting the nation at greater risk."

"It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records - along with those of now White House chief of staff Susie Wiles - using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight," he said.

The FBI said it discovered the information in the bureau's newly discovered "prohibited case file."

Patel also said he recently ended the FBI's ability to categorize files as "prohibited."

Fox News also learned from two FBI officials that, in 2023, FBI agents allegedly recorded a phone call between Wiles and her attorney.

According to those officials, Wiles' attorney was aware the call was being recorded and consented, but Wiles was not informed.

Wiles' 2023 attorney disputes those claims. 

"If I ever pulled a stunt like that I wouldn't - and shouldn't - have a license to practice law," the unidentified attorney said, according to Axios. "I'm as shocked as Susie." 

He said prosecutors "followed all legal requirements in getting those records" and told a House panel the records obtained from lawmakers did not include the content of conversations. 

Fox News' Emma Bussey and Emma Colton contributed to this report.