The FBI is investigating whether Joe Kent, a former top counterterrorism official who resigned this week, improperly shared classified information, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing FBI inquiry, said the investigation began before or around the time Kent left his government post.
The person said Kent resigned Tuesday as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a position within the U.S. government that focuses on counterterrorism efforts. The AP report said additional details about what the FBI is examining were not immediately available.
Kent disclosed his departure in a statement posted on X, where he cited concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and said he could not support the war. In the post, Kent wrote: “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” and added that he “cannot in good conscience” back the war against Iran.
Trump’s response to Kent’s resignation added to the public dispute. The AP reported that Trump told reporters he always thought Kent was “weak on security” and said that if someone in his administration did not believe Iran was a threat, “we don’t want those people.” The report also said other Trump administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, sought to distance themselves from Kent and his assessment.
The timing of the FBI inquiry comes against a backdrop of other Justice Department investigations involving political figures. The AP report said the department has undertaken multiple investigations over the last year into political foes of President Donald Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and that prosecutors have repeatedly struggled to make charges stick amid rejections from judges or difficulty securing indictments.
Kent has also been described by the AP as having previously run unsuccessfully for Congress. The AP said a phone message was left Wednesday night for Kent, with a former campaign manager.
As the FBI investigation continues, it remains unclear what classified information, if any, Kent may have shared, and what specific topics or materials investigators are examining.