The Trump administration plans to scrutinize scores of FBI agents involved in Trump-related investigations, setting the stage for a possible purge targeting not only the bureau’s leaders but also rank-and-file agents, according to people familiar with the matter.

On Friday, interim leaders at the Justice Department instructed the FBI to notify around a half-dozen high-ranking career officials that they faced termination, according to a person with direct knowledge of the move. It is not clear who the officials are, or why they were targeted.

But a much larger group — which includes dozens and perhaps hundreds of lower-ranking career agents who had limited decision-making authority — are expected to be notified over the next few days that they face possible termination, demotion or transfer under a not-yet-specified internal review process, the person said.

The targeted agents could include investigators who worked on some of the cases stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack in the U.S. Capitol, but might also include investigations that have no direct link to President Donald Trump or the attack.

The move to enact the plan comes just one day after Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, testified before Congress that the bureau would not be targeted for political reasons.

A department spokesperson, and Patel’s representative, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. FBI officials declined to comment.

“All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” Patel said during his confirmation hearing Thursday.

On that same day, a different handful of officials were notified that they had the option of stepping down or would be dismissed.

Privately, however, senior officials at the Justice Department have asked for the names of thousands of agents who worked on cases involving the Capitol riot.

In a statement, the FBI Agents Association said that if true, “these outrageous actions by acting officials are fundamentally at odds with the law enforcement objectives outlined by President Trump.”

“Dismissing potentially hundreds of agents would severely weaken the bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats,” the statement continued.

Such removals and firings would also contradict public statements made by Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, and Patel, the organization said.

The people familiar with the planning spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. If the administration follows through, it would be a singular moment in the FBI’s history, and fly in the face of decades worth of civil service laws that are meant to protect the integrity and professionalism of the government workforce.

Patel, speaking under oath, also promised to follow established bureau procedures in seeking terminations or transfers, including referring accusations of improper conduct by prosecutors to the Justice Department’s inspector general before taking action.

Two of the senior agents who ran field offices and were forced out had been targeted by conservatives.

“They are hollowing out our professional law enforcement community,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who questioned Patel at the confirmation hearing.

“It is the absolute height of arrogance to be doing exactly what their FBI nominee promised not to do — literally the day after he made the promise. It’s surreal and sickening and should be disregarded as disqualifying for this nominee.”