07/21/2026
The FBI gave David Maltinsky a Pride flag as an award for his work. Then Kash Patel fired him for displaying it, three weeks before he was set to graduate as a special agent, and called it "political signage."
Maltinsky spent more than 16 years at the FBI. As reported by CBS News and confirmed by The Independent, the bureau had flown that Progress Pride flag outside the Los Angeles Federal Building, then entrusted it to him in recognition of his work supporting LGBTQ+ employees.
He displayed it in a case on his desk with a placard explaining its history. His supervisors saw it. When another employee complained, two officials confirmed the flag was allowed.
Then he moved cross-country to Quantico, passed every legal and physical benchmark, and got to week 16 of the 19-week special agent course. That is when he was escorted to an executive suite and handed a letter signed personally by FBI Director Kash Patel.
The letter said Maltinsky had exercised "poor judgment with an inappropriate display of political signage."
The only signage he ever displayed was the flag the FBI gave him.
Here is where the "political signage" excuse falls apart. Maltinsky's lawyers point out that the FBI routinely lets agents display Thin Blue Line flags, Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me" flags, and Punisher skulls at their workstations.
None of those get you fired. None of those get called political. Only the rainbow one did. Patel did not have a problem with signage. He had a problem with that flag, and everyone can see it.
Now Patel is trying to make sure nobody gets to look closer. The DOJ has moved to dismiss part of the case, specifically to avoid the discovery phase, where Maltinsky's team could obtain internal records and testimony about who ordered the firing and why.
Maltinsky is fighting to force it open. His attorney put it plainly: "Instead of answering for their unlawful actions, Director Patel and the DOJ are making baseless arguments in an effort to delay justice and shield from public view the cruel discrimination that led to David's firing."
The government does not fight this hard to hide the records when the records help them.
Patel gave a man a letter. The man is about to give Patel a subpoena.
