OPINION:
House Republicans earlier this year decided to fully fund operations at the FBI. They may come to regret that decision, as new whistleblower documents suggest the bureau has been purging its ranks of agents who fail to toe the Democratic Party line.
Empower Oversight, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on assisting government whistleblowers, sent a complaint this week to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz regarding a 12-year FBI veteran who was pushed out of the agency.
“The FBI forced our client to forego years of additional retirement credits, health benefits, and employment opportunities for expressing views that are supposed to be protected by the First Amendment,” Empower’s president, Tristan Leavitt, wrote to Mr. Horowitz.
The agent, who requested anonymity, had his security clearance revoked by FBI officials upset by his right-of-center political views. This is confirmed in records from the FBI Security Division’s inquisition of the former fed.
All of his co-workers were interviewed using preprinted forms designed to reveal forbidden political views. The first question asks if the agent did at any time “Vocalize support for President Trump?” Handwritten notes from the interviewer state: “Def[inite] Trump supporter. Strong Republican values.”
Another question asks whether the agent voiced objections to the COVID-19 vaccination. The notes answer: “Definitely. … Complied with requirements. Vocalized disapproval but complied with FBI requirements in office and reporting/testing.”
The agent under scrutiny probably didn’t exercise the best judgment in going near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, but he did not participate in the riot and he did not enter the building. Questions ask about this, and the agent voluntarily reported his participation right after the situation got out of hand.
The interrogation form also asks about attendance at the Virginia Citizens Defense League’s lobby day in Richmond. This annual event brings Virginia residents to the state Capitol to talk with lawmakers and demonstrate their support for the Second Amendment.
It’s a celebration of the American right to peacefully petition the government, but the FBI appears to believe such petitioning is code for disobedient thoughts. Handwritten notes on the interview form state: “Gun nut. Went to all 2nd Amendment gatherings. … No promotion of violence.”
For this wrongthink, the unnamed agent was suspended indefinitely without pay. As reported by The Washington Times’ own Kerry Picket this week, another FBI whistleblower, Marcus Allen, succeeded in having his security clearance restored after he was found to have done nothing wrong.
Rather than do something about this pattern of misconduct among FBI leaders, House Republicans recently chipped in another $200 million into the pile of cash the law enforcement agency is amassing to escape the hideous J. Edgar Hoover Building here in Washington in favor of a palatial compound to be built on 61 acres in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The FBI settled on the sprawling location after noting it met the specific criteria of “Promoting Sustainable Siting” and “Advancing Equity.” Fiscal responsibility wasn’t considered, as the expected final cost of this temple of justice is now $4.5 billion with a completion date beyond 2036.
That gives the House time to realize its mistake and claw back the $845 million already allocated to the project. Unless the power of the purse is used to coerce FBI leaders to respect traditional boundaries, it will continue down this dark road of partisanship.
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