A month before the Charlie Kirk political assassination at Utah Valley University (UVU), a woman named Mehtab Syed was pushed out of her role as head of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office. Maybe she did something wrong, or perhaps she was no longer a good fit. While those are the usual lines used to explain a firing, there seems to be much more to Syed’s removal than meets the eye.
After Kash Patel took over as FBI director, big changes followed.
That included the removal and replacement of several high-ranking employees. Current and former officials, who are remaining anonymous, told MSNBC that many of those affected are women or minorities. It also appears the overhaul may be aimed at removing anyone who isn’t aligned with the efforts being pushed by Donald Trump, Patel, and Dan Bongino. And Syed may have been caught up in that. Here’s a look at the circumstances surrounding her firing.
Why was Salt Lake City FBI Chief Mehtab Syed fired?
Well, that’s not entirely clear. According to sources who spoke with MSNBC, “She wasn’t a good fit for the office,” which they say Associate Deputy Director J. William Rivers, who is also working with Bongino and Patel, told Mehtab Syed. But how? She had just been promoted to the higher-ranking role in February 2025, a decision the bureau likely made after significant thought and consideration…