The FBI is investigating former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent over allegations that he leaked classified information, according to three sources familiar with the matter, Fox News reported. Sources told Fox News Digital that the probe predates Kent's departure from government. The FBI declined to comment on the report, while Fox News Digital said it had reached out to Kent for a response via phone and email.
Kent resigned on Tuesday from his position as the country's top counterterrorism official, citing his opposition to the U.S. military offensive in Iran. In a public statement, he said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war,” arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat and that the conflict marked a departure from the administration's earlier stance against prolonged wars in the Middle East.
Also Read: Trump Claims US Had No Role in Israel's South Pars Attack, Warns Iran Against Retaliation
A senior administration official previously told Fox News Digital that Kent was a “known leaker” who had been excluded from intelligence briefings months before his resignation. It remains unclear whether the FBI investigation is linked to those concerns or stems from a separate matter.
Kent, a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer, was appointed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center in early 2025. He is also a Gold Star spouse.
In his resignation letter addressed to President Donald Trump, Kent said that while he supported the values and foreign policies Trump campaigned on in 2016, 2020 and 2024, he disagreed with the decision to launch the U.S. offensive in Iran.
Also Read: 'Iran Was No Threat, Israel Forced US Into Conflict': Former US Counterterrorism Chief Joe Kent
He further argued that Israel had drawn the United States into the conflict, a suggestion earlier echoed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio before he later walked back the remark.
“I pray that you will reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for,” Kent wrote. “The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.”
The White House rejected Kent's claims, calling them “many false,” and strongly disputed his assertion that Iran posed no imminent threat. Trump later told reporters, “It's a good thing that he's out, because he said Iran is not a threat… Every country realized what a threat Iran was.”
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