A former FBI agent who once trained EFCC operatives in Abuja has sued the U.S. government, alleging he was wrongfully dismissed over political views and his sexual orientation.
A former FBI agent, David Maltinsky, who previously trained operatives of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, has filed a lawsuit against the United States government over what he described as wrongful termination. The suit was lodged at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on November 19, 2025, according to a report from PEOPLES GAZETTE.
Court filings show that Mr Maltinsky was issued a termination letter on October 1, 2025, signed by FBI Director Kash Patel, informing him that he had been removed from his position while nearing completion of a 19-week FBI Academy programme. The letter accused him of displaying political signage, specifically an LGBTQ flag, at the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, allegedly violating agency policy.
Mr Maltinsky, who joined the FBI in 2009, argued in his filings that he was unfairly targeted because of his sexual orientation, insisting the action taken against him contravened his constitutional freedom of speech. His assignments at the FBI included work in Scotland in 2023 during a SIM-swapping investigation, as well as an October 2021 cybercrime training tour with Nigeria’s anti-graft agency.
The former agent is asking the court to declare that his First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated, order his immediate reinstatement, and award backpay, benefits, and attorney fees.