David Maltinsky was just weeks away from being elevated to an Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation when he decided one day to put up a pride flag on his desk. Suddenly, a letter from FBI Director Kash Patel arrived, informing him that he was dismissed for displaying “political signage.”
It’s hard to fathom a coherent argument that legitimizes someone’s personal dating life as a political position. This reflects a larger culture within the Donald Trump administration, which has vowed an onslaught against whatever it perceives as a hive-mind insistence on diversity in the workplace. To many in MAGA, simply being proud of your identity is reason enough to question your qualification for the job.
Per CBS, Patel’s dismissal letter to Maltinsky read, “I have determined that you exercised poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage in your work area during your previous assignment at the Los Angeles Field Office. Pursuant to Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States, your employment with the Federal Bureau of Investigation is hereby terminated.”
Maltinsky is now moving to court to argue that this administration has violated his First Amendment rights. His lawyers maintain that he was simply expressing himself — no different from having a picture of your family on your desk or a mug from your favorite sports team.
The now-dismissed Maltinsky revealed to the press that, ever since he lost his job, former colleagues have begun removing their own pride flags in fear. His lawyer, Christopher M. Mattei, told CBS that he now sees his client’s goal of becoming an FBI agent to help Americans in their time of need diverted toward protecting their rights from the very agency he once saw as a force for good. Mattei said, “This case is about far more than one man’s career—it’s about whether the government can punish Americans simply for saying who they are.”
The controversial FBI Director was reached for comment, and he retorted that his agency is only interested in “merit and qualification.” This has grown into a pattern by the administration—ironically using government instruments politically while posturing as neutral and solely merit-driven. From trying to delay the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to pushing immigration agents not to look into Andrew Tate’s allegations when he reentered the U.S., the goal seems to be aligning the administration as closely to MAGA as possible while claiming that anything outside that alignment is merely a distraction.
Maltinsky’s lawyer filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, not for money or even an apology, but simply to get his job back. Maltinsky tried to reassure people who are skeptical of his sexuality affecting his work, saying, “We’re not the enemy and we’re not some political mob. We’re proud members of the FBI, and we have a mission to do. We go to work every day to do it.”
This story is still developing, and it’s going to be the first true test of whether the Trump-era crackdown on DEI is encroaching on employees’ First Amendment rights.
