James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York division, has been forced to retire following a recent email he sent to colleagues. Dennehy informed his team that he was instructed late Friday to submit his retirement papers, which he did, though he was not given a reason for the decision.

In a message to the workforce last month, Dennehy expressed frustration amid reports of potential mass firings at the FBI. He stated, “Today, we find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the FBI and others are being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and FBI policy.” He added that he was preparing to “dig in.”

Dennehy’s retirement comes shortly after Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged that the FBI’s New York field office had withheld thousands of pages of additional documents related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi called for an investigation into why these documents were concealed.

In his farewell message, Dennehy expressed pride in having led a dedicated team of professionals committed to upholding the law and seeking the truth. He also referenced a piece of advice he had received: “When you find yourself in a hole, sometimes it’s best to quit digging.” Dennehy responded to this advice, saying, “Screw that. I will never stop defending this joint. I’ll just do it willingly and proudly from outside the wire.”