A top Justice Department official has accused the FBI’s acting leaders of “insubordination” in a memo in which he sought to soothe anxiety inside the bureau over the potential for a broad purge of agents involved in investigating the Jan.

Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove made the statements on Wednesday in a memo to staff seen by Reuters.

A senior DOJ official in a memo said only agents "who acted with corrupt or partisan intent, who blatantly defied orders from Department leadership, or who exercised discretion in weaponizing the FBI" should be concerned.

The acting deputy attorney general accused FBI leadership of “insubordination” by refusing to identify a “core team” of bureau employees who worked on January 6 investigations, while trying to assure that rank-and-file agents who “simply followed orders” will not be fired unless they “acted with corrupt or partisan intent,

The message from the acting deputy attorney general, which also accuses acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll of “insubordination,” is aimed at providing a measure of clarity following days of turmoil and uncertainty inside the bureau.

But tries to dampen talk of revenge on agents ‘who simply followed orders’.

The Justice Department’s No. 2 official accused FBI leaders Wednesday of “insubordination” in an ongoing investigation of the purported “weaponization” of the legal system during former President Joe Biden’s administration.

ABC News’ Jack Date reports on the memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove.