What Is the Lawsuit Over a DHS Employee Fired for Criticizing Kristi Noem?
Quick Summary
Former Department of Homeland Security IT worker Brandon Wright is suing the agency, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and a woman identified as "Heidi Doe," claiming his firing over secretly recorded comments violated his First Amendment rights. Wright alleges he was the target of a setup orchestrated by conservative activist James O’Keefe, where a woman he met on Bumble steered their conversation to politics and recorded him without his consent. After an edited video of his criticisms against Noem was posted online, Wright received anonymous threats and was placed on administrative leave before being officially terminated a year later for "conduct unbecoming of a federal employee." The termination letter cited that keeping him employed would suggest it is acceptable to undermine agency leadership. Now, represented by attorney Mark Zaid, Wright is fighting back, arguing that his termination was unlawful retaliation for expressing personal opinions on his own time, which is protected free speech, even for federal employees.
A former IT worker for the Department of Homeland Security, Brandon Wright, is suing the agency after being fired over a secretly recorded video where he criticized DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He...
A former IT worker for the Department of Homeland Security, Brandon Wright, is suing the agency after being fired over a secretly recorded video where he criticized DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He claims the whole thing was a setup, and that his termination for comments made on his own time is a clear violation of his First Amendment rights.
According to the lawsuit, Wright’s eight-year career began to unravel in January 2025 after he connected with a woman on Bumble. The woman, identified as "Heidi Doe," allegedly portrayed herself as a liberal who was passionate about feminism and LGBTQ+ rights.
Wright says that after they made plans to meet, she switched the restaurant to a place she knew better. Over drinks, he claims she kept pushing the conversation toward politics and Kristi Noem. The lawsuit alleges this woman was secretly recording him as part of a scheme either paid for or orchestrated by the conservative activist James O’Keefe and his company, O’Keefe Media Group (OMG).
After the date, Wright turned down a second meeting, feeling there was no real spark and being a little weirded out by her constant questions about D.C. politics. He had no idea he’d been recorded.
Shortly after, things took a dark turn. Wright started getting anonymous, threatening voicemails and texts. One message even included a Google Maps image of a place he used to live, referencing a "honeypot scheme" and his job at DHS. He reported the threats to his supervisor, but he says nothing was done before the agency took action against him.
A few days later, a 13-minute video, edited with commentary from O'Keefe, was posted on social media. It featured out-of-context and repeated clips from his conversation with "Heidi Doe," which Wright says was recorded without his consent.
The video prompted DHS to place Wright on administrative leave on January 30, 2025. About a year later, on January 8, 2026, he was officially fired for "conduct unbecoming of a federal employee." The termination letter apparently noted the "unfortunate circumstances" of the secret recording but justified the firing by saying that keeping him employed would suggest it’s okay for employees to "undermine the Secretary, the President’s and [the deciding official’s] agenda and authority.”
Now, Wright is fighting back. His lawsuit names DHS, Kristi Noem, and "Heidi Doe" as defendants, though O’Keefe and his media group are not being sued. Represented by well-known attorney Mark Zaid, Wright maintains that his private opinions, expressed off the clock, are protected speech. Zaid positioned the firing as another example of the Trump administration trying to silence dissent.
"The first amendment permits individuals to hold and express opinions that might be critical of the US Government, even when that individual might be a federal employee," Zaid said. The suit argues the government’s actions were simply unlawful retaliation for Wright exercising his freedom of speech.