Today, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan is holding a hearing billed as a look at the “politicization” of the FBI. Oh the i-Wray-ny. We can surely expect Jordan to use the hearing as another opportunity to protect former President Trump as Trump made it no secret that he thought his own FBI director was “disappointing.” Jordan already admitted that he would use his investigative authority to frame the 2024 election to “make sure [Trump] wins” and he has done so. Not long after Trump’s attorney reportedly requested an investigation, Jordan took his Weaponization Subcommittee on a road trip to interfere in an independent state prosecutor’s investigation into Trump. It’s not the first time Jordan has acted in extraordinary ways to defend Trump. Early in Trump’s presidency, Jordan said he did not think Trump obstructed justice when he asked FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the Vice President and federal agents about his conversation with a Russian diplomat.
Demonstrating the lengths to which Jordan will go to protect Trump, Jordan has made clear his disdain for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former Republican-appointed FBI director. Jordan said more than once, without evidence, that he thought most people on Mueller’s team were anti-Trump. Jordan admitted he doesn’t like special counsels, who operate independently, and then called for a second one to look at Mueller to seemingly satisfy his own political aims. Jordan even at one point suggested that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was the first senator to endorse Trump in 2016, should step down if he didn’t appoint a second special counsel to look at whether the FBI worked to prevent Trump’s election. He even attacked Trump-appointed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who had oversight of the Mueller probe, who then accused Jordan of using false claims to launch personal attacks against him. When Jordan finally did get his wish for a second special counsel, it demonstrated even further how Trump weaponized the Justice Department.
Jordan’s long running Trump protection con doesn’t stop there. To support his accusations about the weaponization of government, he has relied heavily on suspended FBI agents who have trafficked in right-wing conspiracy theories, including about January 6th, some of whom have received funding from a close Trump ally, and one who allegedly leaked sensitive investigative information to the right-wing Project Veritas.
Jordan isn’t interested in serious oversight, he’d rather weaponize his own power to protect Trump.
Jordan Weaponizes His Authority In Government To Protect And Defend Former President Trump
BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP REPORTEDLY WANTED TO REPLACE FBI DIRECTOR WRAY
HEADLINE: “Trump Criticizes “Disappointing” FBI Director Christopher Wray” [CBS News, 10/8/20]
May 2020: Axios Reported That President Trump Wanted To Replace FBI Director Christopher Wray Because He “Never Felt Like Wray Was His Guy.” “President Trump is not happy with FBI director Christopher Wray and would love to replace him, according to three sources who’ve discussed the matter with the president. But Trump has been deferring to Attorney General Bill Barr and is unlikely to remove Wray before the election, these sources said. Behind the scenes: Trump’s dissatisfaction with Wray — whom he nominated for the post in 2017 after firing Jim Comey — is nothing new. A source who has discussed the FBI director repeatedly with the president said Trump ‘has never felt like Wray was his guy’ and does not trust him to ‘change the culture’ of the FBI.” [Axios, 5/3/20]
JORDAN HAS ALREADY SAID REPUBLICANS WOULD USE INVESTIGATIVE OVERSIGHT TO FRAME THE 2024 ELECTION AND “MAKE SURE [TRUMP] WINS
August 2022: While Referencing How Republicans Would Use Investigative Oversight, Jim Jordan Said, “That Will Help Frame Up The 2024 Race, When I Hope And I Think President Trump Is Going To Run Again. And We Need To Make Sure That He Wins.” “But other Republicans are more open in depicting their broader oversight as a way to tee up a 2024 election where they hope to win back the White House ‘That will help frame up the 2024 race, when I hope and I think President Trump is going to run again. And we need to make sure that he wins,’ Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who’s set to chair the Judiciary Committee under a 2023 GOP majority, said at a CPAC conference in Texas late last week.” [Politico, 8/10/22]
March 2023: Multiple Sources Confirmed That President Trump And Jordan Spoke Regularly
March 2023: Multiple Sources Confirmed With CNN That President Trump And Jim Jordan Spoke Regularly – A Jordan Spokesperson Didn’t Deny The Allegations And Referred To It As “Regular Order.” “Multiple sources tell CNN that Trump and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan speak regularly but declined to divulge whether those conversations included Jordan’s investigative efforts. ‘Conversations among concerned parties about issues facing the country are not news and regular order in Congress,’ Jordan’s spokesperson Russell Dye said in a statement to CNN.” [CNN, 3/29/23]
DURING HIS PRESIDENCY, JORDAN MADE EXTRAORDINARY COMMENTS IN DEFENSE OF TRUMP WHO FLAGRANTLY VIOLATED THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
HEADLINE: “All The Ways Trump, Not His Foes, Sought To ‘Weaponize’ The Government” [Washington Post, 7/10/23]
HEADLINE: “Trump Says The Justice System Has Been Weaponized. He Would Know.” [New York Times, 3/29/23]
HEADLINE: “How The Durham Inquiry Backfired To Show Weaponization Of Trump DOJ” [The Guardian, 2/10/23]
Jordan Claimed President Trump Did Not Obstruct Justice When He Suggested To The FBI Director That He Should Stop The FBI Investigation Of Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn
Rep. Jim Jordan Did Not Think President Trump Obstructed Justice When He Asked FBI Director Comey To Drop The Investigation Into Michael Flynn. STEVE KORNACKI: “And you — if you were watching the show earlier, you heard we had this discussion. The President’s lawyer is out there saying the President cannot, as a matter of law, commit obstruction of justice. Do you agree with that argument?” REP. JIM JORDAN: “Well, I mean, I think the argument is because he asked Comey to not, you know, go after Michael Flynn, a guy who served our country — I mean, a general who served in our armed services, that somehow that’s obstruction. I don’t see how that’s obstruction of justice, so I think that’s a pretty weak claim that we’re hearing from some.” [MSNBC, Meet the Press Daily, 12/4/17] (video)
- Jim Jordan On President Trump Reportedly Suggesting The FBI Director Lay Off Of Michael Flynn: “I Don’t Think It’s Obstruction Of Justice.” MSNBC HOST STEVE KORNACKI: “Well, we have evidence that the man the President of the United States appointed to be his national security adviser has now pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.” REP. JIM JORDAN: “I understand.” KORNACKI: “And we know the day after the President fired him, he met with the FBI Director and in some way, apparently, suggested that he lay off of Flynn. And now, we have a tweet in the President of the United States’ name saying I knew at that time that he lied to the FBI.” JORDAN: And we’ll see what Mr. — we’ll see what Robert Mueller comes back with. […] I don’t think it’s obstruction of justice. That’s what I believe. My guess is there’s lots of Americans who would think — reach that same conclusion and lots of Americans that would say, really, we got a Special Counsel investigating President Trump when we know the Clinton campaign actually worked with the Russians to develop a dossier?” [MSNBC, Meet the Press Daily, 12/4/17] (video)
- Former FBI Director James Comey Said President Trump Asked Him For “Loyalty” And To Let Go Of The Investigation Into Former National Security Director Michael Flynn. “Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that President Trump did ask him for ‘loyalty’ at a January dinner and later told him alone in the Oval Office that he ‘hope[d] you can let’ the investigation into former national security director Michael Flynn ‘go.’ The opening statement from Comey, released by the committee less than 24 hours before his testimony, effectively confirms many of the bombshell reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post over the past month that have raised the question of whether the president tried to interfere in the ongoing investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and whether Trump campaign associates colluded with Moscow.” [NPR, 6/7/17]
Jordan Seemed To Suggest That FBI Director James Comey, Who Announced Reopening An Investigation Into Hillary Clinton Days Before The 2016 Election, Was Part Of An Elaborate Plot To Keep Trump From Being Elected
CNN’s John Berman Pushed Rep. Jim Jordan On Whether He Was Suggesting Former FBI Director James Comey Was Part Of Some Plot To Prevent Donald Trump From Becoming President In 2016. CNN HOST JOHN BERMAN: “All right. Listen, Strzok was on the team that changed it, we know that much. We don’t know whether he was the actual one who changed it. Again, I say to you, so you’re suggesting that part of this plot to keep Donald Trump from becoming president included James Comey?” JORDAN: “I’m not suggesting that at all. I’m just saying, I’m just saying he reopened it a few weeks before the election.” BERMAN: “Wouldn’t that be a lousy way to plot defeating Donald Trump to reopen the investigation into Hillary?” JORDAN: “So back in October, before the election, you guys didn’t like Jim Comey and now you like him? I don’t get the point.” BERMAN: “It’s not whether I like him or not.” [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
- CNN’s John Berman To Rep. Jim Jordan: “If That’s True, Why, Then, Did [Comey] Come Out, Again, And Reopen The Investigation Into Hillary Clinton’s E-Mails And Never Even Tell Us Before The Election About The Investigation Into Alleged Trump Collusion? CNN JOHN BERMAN: “Was James Comey part of a plot to keep Donald Trump from being president?” REP. JIM JORDAN: “We’ll find out. We’ll find out. All I know is the text message from Peter Strzok to Lisa Page sure points to that being what looks like took place. And that’s what we’re going to investigate.” BERMAN: “You think James Comey was part of an effort, that went all the way to the top of the FBI to keep Donald Trump to being president? Why then — ” (CROSSTALK) BERMAN: “If that’s true, why, then, did he come out, again, and reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mails and never even tell us before the election about the investigation into alleged Trump collusion? If he was trying to keep Donald Trump from getting elected, don’t you think he might tell voters that?” JORDAN: “Yes. We’ll have to find out. But why did James Comey take over the investigation, why did he go public, why did he change the exoneration letter, why did let –” [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
CNN’s John Berman: “All I’m Saying Is, If You’re Going To Make A Statement That Bold, Wouldn’t It Just Be Logical For Him To Tell The American People He Was Investigating Him Before The Election? […] You Said The FBI Was Part Of An Effort To Stop Trump From Becoming President Of The United States.” CNN HOST JOHN BERMAN: “But you said the FBI was trying to defeat Donald Trump. All I’m saying is, if you’re going to make a statement that bold, wouldn’t it just be logical for him to tell the American people he was investigating him before the election?” REP. JIM JORDAN: “You’ll have to ask Mr. Comey. We’re going to try to find that out. What I know is the text messages that came out last week sure point in that direction. And that’s what I said. Well, and I think commonsense says when you look at the history of Peter Strzok, when you look at what he said in those text messages, if that doesn’t show intent — ” BERMAN: “You said the FBI was part of an effort to stop Trump from becoming president of the United States.” [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
JORDAN USED HIS POWER AS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN TO INTERFERE IN AN INDEPENDENT STATE PROSECUTOR’S INVESTIGATION OF TRUMP
HEADLINE: “House GOP Escalates Defense Of Trump With New York Field Hearing Seeking To Discredit Manhattan DA” [CNN, 4/17/23]
CNN Reported Rep. Jim Jordan’s Field Hearing In New York City About Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg “Serves As The Latest Example Of How Trump Continues To Wield Enormous Power On Capitol Hill As House Republicans Seek To Curry Favor With The Former President.” “House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are exemplifying the lengths they are willing to go to discredit Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s criminal case against former President Donald Trump with a Monday New York field hearing on Bragg’s home turf. […] It serves as the latest example of how Trump continues to wield enormous power on Capitol Hill as House Republicans seek to curry favor with the former president, coming to his defense through their investigations and routinely updating him and his closest advisers on their progress. In the wake of his indictment, Trump called up members of House GOP leadership and key committee members to shore up support on Capitol Hill, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.” [CNN, 4/17/23]
Trump’s Reportedly Lawyer Asked Jordan To Investigate The “Abuse Of Power” From A “Rogue Local District Attorney”
Trump’s Lawyer, Joe Tacopina, Wrote To Chairman Jim Jordan Calling On Congress To Investigate The “Abuse Of Power” From A “Rogue Local District Attorney.” “Still, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have quietly urged the Republican-led House to interfere. Last month, Mr. Trump’s lawyer Joseph Tacopina wrote to Mr. Jordan calling on Congress to investigate the ‘egregious abuse of power’ by what he called a ‘rogue local district attorney,’ according to a copy of the letter obtained by The New York Times.” [New York Times, 3/20/23]
While Attacking Special Counsel Robert Mueller For Investigating The Trump Campaign, Jordan Admitted He Doesn’t Like Independent Counsels
JORDAN ADMITTED THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE SPECIAL COUNSELS, BUT HE WANTED A SECOND TO SATISFY HIS OWN POLITICAL BELIEFS
Rep. Jim Jordan Admitted That He Doesn’t Like Special Counsels, But He Wanted A Second Special Counsel To Look Into Robert Mueller Who He Thought Was “Inherently Compromised.” REP. JIM JORDAN: “Yes. I don’t like special counsels, but we need a second one. We called for it six months ago. Congressman Meadows, myself and several other members called for a second special counsel. I don’t know how else you clean this up. Mueller, if he would expand into looking at this – I think he is inherently compromised. Jeff Sessions has recused himself. I see the only remedy is the second special counsel.” [Fox News, Lou Dobbs Tonight, 2/2/18] (video)
- Daily Beast: “The Current Madness Is That Russia Is Great And Can Do No Wrong, While The FBI Is Suddenly A Subversive And Un-American Organization. And Robert Mueller Is A Partisan, Pro-Clinton, Never-Trump Pawn Of The Liberal Order.” “And finally, there’s the madness, which is slightly different from lies. The current madness is that Russia is great and can do no wrong, while the FBI is suddenly a subversive and un-American organization. And Robert Mueller is a partisan, pro-Clinton, Never-Trump pawn of the liberal order. At that House Judiciary Committee last week where FBI chief Christopher Wray testified, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan actually said that if every member of Mueller’s staff who was anti-Trump was kicked off the investigation, ‘I don’t know if there’d be anyone left.’ Newt Gingrich (who in May called Mueller ‘a superb choice’) now says ‘Mueller is corrupt. The senior FBI is corrupt. The system is corrupt.’ And Fox’s Jeanine Pirro spoke of a needed ‘cleansing’ at the FBI of people who needed ‘to be taken out in cuffs.’” [Daily Beast, 12/12/17]
Jordan Dodged A Question About Whether He Talked To The Trump White House About The Mueller Investigation
Rep. Jim Jordan Dodged When Asked If He Had Talked To The Trump White House About The Mueller Investigation And Said “Well, I Talk To The White House About All Kinds Of Things.” BERMAN: “I want to talk to you about the facts and issues in a second. I’m asking you right now about this charge that there was a coordinated effort. Have you had conversations or has your office had conversations with the White House about the Mueller investigation?” JORDAN: “I have not called — we just had Mr. Sessions, Mr. Rosenstein, Mr. (INAUDIBLE). I did not talk to the White House about what kind of questions I was going to ask. I’m basing them on the evidence and the facts that have come out, like I just did — how do you get around the text message –” (CROSSTALK) BERMAN: “Have you had conversations with the White House, not about the questions you asked but about the Mueller investigation in general?” JORDAN: “Well, I talk to the White House about all kinds of things. We’ve had talks at the White House about tax policy, about welfare policy, talks about Obamacare. Of course, we’ve had talks with the White House. But my questions in those committees was driven by the evidence we’ve received in the last several weeks like the text message from Peter Strzok where he says we can’t afford to take the risk that the American people are going to elect Donald Trump so we need an insurance policy?” [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
JORDAN SAID, WITHOUT EVIDENCE, THAT EVERYONE ON SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER’S TEAM WAS ANTI-TRUMP
Rep. Jim Jordan: “If You Kicked Everyone Off Who Is Anti-Trump Text Messages On The Mueller Camp, There Wouldn’t Be Anyone Left On The Mueller Team.” JIM JORDAN: “He’s the guy who interviewed Mike Flynn. He ran the Russian investigations. Gets picked by Bob Mueller to go in his team and then gets kicked off for a few text messages. Come on.” FOX NEWS HOST SHANNON BREAM: “You think there’s much more to that.” JORDAN: “It has to be more. If you kicked everyone off who is anti-Trump text messages on the Mueller camp, there wouldn’t be anyone left on the Mueller team. So, it has to be more.” [Fox News, At Night, 12/7/17] (video)
- CNN’s Alisyn Camerota To Rep. Jim Jordan: “I’m Just Confused About You Painting The Entire Mueller Investigation With One Broad Brush Stroke. We Know That There Are Democrats And Republicans On That Team.” CNN HOST ALISYN CAMEROTA: “Yes. I’m just confused about you painting the entire Mueller investigation with one broad brush stroke. We know that there are Democrats and Republicans on that team.” REP. JIM JORDAN: “Well, all I am saying is I don’t think he was dismissed because he had anti-Trump messages.” CAMEROTA: “I know.” JORDAN: “Remember, most of the top lawyers gave to Clinton, gave to Obama, they’ve got an anti-Trump bias as well. That’s not the reason. There has to be something else.” CAMEROTA: “Well, there are all — people also gave to Republicans.” [CNN, New Day, 12/8/17] (video)
Rep. Jim Jordan: “Most Of Mueller’s Team Is Anti-Trump.” CNN HOST JOHN BERMAN: “So if it came out that there were FBI agents in the New York field office, and there’s been a lot of stories about agents in the New York field office who didn’t particularly like Hillary Clinton. If it came out that they were sharing anti-Clinton messages, would that concern you as much?” REP. JIM JORDAN: “Of course it would. Of course it would. But it’s not the anti-Trump messages that bother me about Peter Strzok. Most of Mueller’s team is anti-Trump. We know that. What concerns me is the intent to carry out a plan to disrupt the election because as Mr. Strzok said, we can’t afford to leave this in we the people’s hands. That is a problem. And if it happened and all the evidence seems to be pointing at that direction –“ [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
CNN PUSHED JORDAN ON WHETHER DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ROD ROSENSTEIN, WHO WAS APPOINTED BY TRUMP, BUT HAD OVERSIGHT OF THE MUELLER PROBE, WAS ANTI-TRUMP
CNN’s John Berman To Rep. Jim Jordan: “Rod Rosenstein, The Deputy Attorney General, Was Appointed By President Trump, Was, You Know, Appointed By Republican George W. Bush At One Point. You Know, He Has Oversight Over The Mueller Investigation Right Now. Is He Anti-Trump?” CNN HOST JOHN BERMAN: “Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, was appointed by President Trump, was, you know, appointed by Republican George W. Bush at one point. You know, he has oversight over the Mueller investigation right now. Is he anti-Trump?” REP. JIM JORDAN JORDAN: “I wish what Rod Rosenstein would do is answer our questions.” BERMAN: “Is he anti-Trump?” JORDAN: “I don’t know. All I know is, I wish he’d answer our questions, which he wouldn’t do. I wish Mr. Sessions would answer our questions. I wish Mr. Wray could answer our questions. I wish we could get the documents that we requested at the Judiciary Committee that we’re entitled to so the American people can get the answers, so you can get the answers even, John. That’s what I want. We’re not getting that. We’re going to keep pushing. Andrew McCabe is scheduled to be deposed in front of the Judiciary Committee tomorrow. So, we’re going to be doing that tomorrow. ” [CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, 12/20/17] (video)
CNN’s Chris Cuomo Pushed Rep. Jim Jordan On The Fact That He Was Suggesting The Trump Appointed FBI Director, Attorney General, And Deputy Attorney General Were Somehow Out To Get President Trump. REP. JIM JORDAN: “They told — the same Department of Justice who — when they gave us documents, had redacted — between Page and Strzok text messages had redacted the fact that Peter Strzok was friends with one of the FISA court judges who also happened to be the same judge who heard Michael Flynn’s case. We’re supposed to trust that Department of Justice who was trying to hide that — trying to hide that information from us?” CNN CHRIS CUOMO: “By your guy, Christopher Wray. It’s overseen by your guy, Jeff Sessions, and Rod Rosenstein.” JORDAN: “But Chris, the credibility of the Department of Justice –” CUOMO: “These are all your people.” JORDAN: “The credibility of the Department of Justice, in light of that fact — the fact that they’ve dragged their feet to give us the information we’re entitled to as a separate, equal branch of government.” [CNN, New Day, 5/23/18] (video)
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Criticized Jordan And Accused Him Of Using False Claims To Attack Him Personally
Rep. Jim Jordan Accused Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Of Keeping Information From Congress, Which Rosenstein Forcefully Denied. REP. JIM JORDAN: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Rosenstein, why are you keeping information from Congress? ” DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ROD ROSENSTEIN: “Congressman, I am not keeping any information from Congress that it’s appropriate for…” (CROSSTALK) JORDAN: “In a few minutes, Mr. Rosenstein, I think the House of Representatives is going to say something different.” ROSENSTEIN: “I don’t agree with you, Congressman. I don’t believe that’s what they’re going to say, and if they do, they’ll be…” JORDAN: “I disagree, but I think…” (CROSSTALK) ROSENSTEIN: “… they will be mistaken.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 6/28/18] (video)
- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein And FBI Director Christopher Wray Told House Republicans They Had Provided Hundreds Of Thousands Of Documents To Congress As Part Of An “Unprecedented” Disclosure And The FBI Assigned At Least 100 People To Complete The Process. “Republican lawmakers threatened to punish Justice and FBI officials with contempt actions and even impeachment if the agency doesn’t comply with a demand for documents related to the Clinton and Trump inquiries. Rosenstein and Wray told the panel Thursday that they provided hundreds of thousands of documents to Congress as part of an ‘unprecedented’ disclosure. Wray said the FBI assigned at least 100 people to complete the process.” [USA Today, 6/28/18]
- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Accused Rep. Jim Jordan Of Using False Claims That The Justice Department Was Keeping Information From Congress To Personally Attack Him. JIM JORDAN: “It’s redacted.” DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ROD ROSENSTEIN: “I am the deputy attorney general of the United States, OK? I’m not the person doing the redacting. I’m responsible for responding to your concerns, as I have. I have a team with me, sir. It’s just a fraction of the team that’s doing this work. And, whenever you’ve brought issues to my attention, I have taken appropriate steps to remedy them. So your statement that I am personally keeping information from you, trying to conceal information from… ” (CROSSTALK) ORDAN: “You’re the boss, Mr. Rosenstein.” ROSENSTEIN: “… is not true. That’s correct, and my job is to make sure that we respond to your concerns. We have, sir. Now, I have appointed Mr. Lausch, who is managing that production, and my understanding is it’s (ph) actually going very well, sir. So I appreciate your concerns… ” JORDAN: “Again, I think the House of Representatives…” ROSENSTEIN: “… and I understand them (ph)…” (CROSSTALK) JORDAN: “… is going to say otherwise.” ROSENSTEIN: “But your use of this to attack me personally…” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 6/28/18] (video)
- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein: “If You’re Interested In The Truth, Mr. Jordan, The Truth Is We Have A Team Of Folks. They’re Trump Appointees And Career Folks, And They’re Doing Their Best To Produce These Documents.” DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL ROD ROSENSTEIN: “If you’re interested in the truth, Mr. Jordan, the truth is we have a team of folks. They’re Trump appointees and career folks, and they’re doing their best to produce these documents. Director Wray explained to you the process. He’s got hundreds of people working around the clock, trying to satisfy these requests. So whether you vote or not is not going to affect it. You’re going to get everything that’s relevant that we can find and produce to you. I support this report, sir. I’m not trying to hide anything from you.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 6/28/18] (video)
Jordan Even Suggested One Of Trump’s Earliest Congressional Supporters Should Be Using His Role In The Independent Justice System To Demonstrate Loyalty To Trump
VIDEO: “Jordan to Sessions: Appoint New Special Counsel Or Step Down” [Fox News, 12/7/17]
Cleveland Plain Dealer Reported That Rep. Jim Jordan Pushed Attorney General Jeff Sessions To Appoint A Special Counsel To Probe Whether The FBI Plotted To Stop Trump From Being President And If Sessions Wasn’t Willing He Should Step Down. “U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Champaign County, believes top FBI officials plotted to stop Donald Trump from becoming president, and he wants a special counsel to probe whether that occurred. Jordan has repeatedly implored U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint a special counsel. At a November House Judiciary Committee hearing, Sessions told Jordan it ‘looks like there’s not enough evidence.’ That’s not how Jordan sees it. His public response to Sessions has been: ‘If you’re not going to appoint a second special counsel, then maybe you should step down.’ The former wrestling champ who co-founded the House Freedom Caucus has never been afraid to kick up a stink to get what he wants. In recent months, he has spent much of his time publicizing his FBI misconduct theories. Jordan has described his allegations of FBI bias in numerous television appearances, at Judiciary Committee hearings with Sessions, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and at press conferences with his conservative colleagues.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/15/18]
- HEADLINE: “Alabama’s Jeff Sessions Becomes First Senator To Endorse Trump” [NBC News, 2/28/16]
JORDAN TRIED TO INTERFERE IN SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION IN OTHER WAYS
June 2018: Rep. Jim Jordan Prepared A Resolution Of Inquiry That Demanded Special Counsel Robert Mueller Hand Over Documents About His Investigation. “The House Rules Committee is preparing to advance a resolution demanding that the Justice Department turn over reams of documents connected to special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation, a move that would put the measure on the cusp of consideration by the House as soon as this week. The committee is slated to consider the proposal on Wednesday afternoon, a day after it was approved by the Judiciary Committee. The proposal, offered by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), demands that the Justice Department turn over a broad slate of documents by July 6. The measure, a so-called resolution of inquiry, is unenforceable but would, for the first time, put the Republican-led House on record demanding sensitive documents, escalating a confrontation that has so far been relegated to a handful of powerful House committees. Democrats opposed the measure, calling it a partisan attempt to undermine Mueller’s ongoing investigation and to squeeze top Justice Department officials like Mueller’s boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Jordan, though, described his resolution as a legitimate demand for documents that had been denied for months.” [Politico, 6/26/18]
- House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows Threatened To Hold Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein In Contempt Of Congress Or To Impeach Him If The Justice Department Failed To Adhere To Rep. Jim Jordan’s Resolution Demanding Documents About The Mueller Probe. “The House is preparing to vote Thursday on a measure chastising the Justice Department for withholding what Republicans say are critical documents connected to special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation. The resolution is unenforceable but would for the first time put the Republican-led House on record demanding sensitive DOJ documents, escalating a confrontation that has so far been confined to a handful of powerful House committees. […] The measure expected to his the floor Thursday is an updated version of proposals initially offered by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus. The latest version conforms to subpoenas that the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees previously issued. Meadows told reporters Wednesday morning that if DOJ fails to comply with the resolution, Congress should hold Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt of Congress or impleach him. The House Rules Committee is preparing to advance the resolution Wednesday afternoon, clearing it for a floor vote Thursday.” [Politico, 6/27/18]
THE MUELLER REPORT FOUND THERE WERE “NUMEROUS LINKS” BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA INTERFERED IN THE 2016 ELECTION IN A “SWEEPING AND SYSTEMATIC FASHION”
The Mueller Report Spent Almost 200 Pages Describing “Numerous Links Between The Russian Government And The Trump Campaign.” “Myth: Mueller found ‘no collusion.’ Response: Mueller spent almost 200 pages describing ‘numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump Campaign.’ He found that ‘a Russian entity carried out a social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.’ He also found that ‘a Russian intelligence service conducted computer-intrusion operations’ against the Clinton campaign and then released stolen documents.” [TIME Magazine, 6/24/19]
The Mueller Report Found That A Russian Entity Carried Out A Social Media Campaign In Support Of Donald Trump And A Russian Intelligence Service Conducted A Hacking Operation Against The Clinton Campaign And Then Released Stolen Documents. “Myth: Mueller found ‘no collusion.’ Response: Mueller spent almost 200 pages describing ‘numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump Campaign.’ He found that ‘a Russian entity carried out a social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.’ He also found that ‘a Russian intelligence service conducted computer-intrusion operations’ against the Clinton campaign and then released stolen documents.” [TIME Magazine, 6/24/19]
The Mueller Report Found At Least Four Actions By President Trump Which Satisfied All Elements Of Obstruction. “Myth: Mueller found no obstruction. Response: Mueller found at least four acts by Trump in which all elements of the obstruction statute were satisfied – attempting to fire Mueller, directing White House counsel Don McGahn to lie and create a false document about efforts to fire Mueller, attempting to limit the investigation to future elections and attempting to prevent Manafort from cooperating with the government. As Mueller stated, ‘while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.’” [TIME Magazine, 6/24/19]
The Mueller Report Concluded That Russia Interfered In The 2016 Election In A “Sweeping And Systematic Fashion.” “Myth: Focus on obstruction detracts from focus on Russia. Response: We agree that it is critical to defend our elections against future instances of the Russian attack Mueller details in his report. But focusing on obstruction is focusing on Russia. Mueller concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in ‘sweeping and systematic fashion.’ The report documents Trump’s efforts to end or curtail the investigation, his refusal to be interviewed and written answers that Mueller found ‘inadequate.’ The report also notes that members of the campaign lied, refused to answer questions, deleted communications and used encrypted applications. Obstruction is a crime precisely because those who engage in it seek to keep investigators from arriving at the truth.” [TIME Magazine, 6/24/19]
Jordan Relies On Witnesses Who Traffic In Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories And Received Funding From A Close Trump Ally
HEADLINE: “GOP Witnesses Undermined Jan. 6 Cases With Conspiracy Theories, FBI Says” [NBC News, 5/18/23]
FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT STEVE FRIEND PLANNED TESTIFIED AT A WEAPONIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING
May 18, 2023: Steve Friend, Former FBI Special Agent, Testified To The House Select Subcommittee On The Weaponization Of The Federal Government. “The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EST. The Committee will hear from three FBI whistleblowers and will examine abuses seen at the Bureau and how the FBI has retaliated against whistleblowers. WITNESSES: Garret O’Boyle, Whistleblower; FBI Special Agent Steve Friend, Whistleblower; former FBI Special Agent Marcus Allen, Whistleblower; FBI Staff Operations Specialist Tristan Leavitt, President, Empower Oversight; former Member of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 5/18/23]
Steve Friend Was Suspended From The FBI Because He Refused To Participate In Cases Connected To January 6th – He Said He Did Not Think The Suspects Were Guilty Of Committing Crimes
One Of The FBI Whistleblowers Rep. Jim Jordan Relied On Was Suspended From The FBI Because He Refused To Participate In Cases Connected To January 6th Because He Did Not Think The Suspects Were Guilty. “A key part of the political nature of the Justice Department, as Republicans see it, is reflected by the supposed mistreatment of Jan. 6 rioters. One of Jordan’s FBI whistleblowers is a special agent in Florida who was suspended after he refused to participate in any cases connected with the attack on the Capitol partly because he doesn’t think the rioters are guilty. Jordan said the agent disclosed ‘that the Washington field office is deliberately manipulating Jan. 6 case files to make it appear that domestic violence extremism is on the rise,’ and that the agent had been suspended. But according to the FBI whistleblower’s statement to Congress — which Johnson published on his Senate website last year — the suspension occurred after he repeatedly refused to participate in arrests connected to Jan. 6 because he didn’t think the suspects were guilty.” [Huffington Post, 2/9/23]
Steve Friend Refused To Participate In Operations Targeting Members Of The Three-Percenter Movement, A Known Anti-Government Group With A History Of Violence Against Citizens And Law Enforcement
Steve Friend Refused To Participate In A SWAT Raid Of A January 6th Suspect – Notably The Suspect Was A Member Of The Three-Percenter Movement. “Mr. Friend has said he refused to take part in a S.W.A.T. raid of a Jan. 6 suspect facing misdemeanor charges, which at the time he called an ‘excessive use of force,’ to which he was a ‘conscientious objector.’ The suspect, Tyler Bensch, was accused of being a member of a right-wing militia group connected to the Three Percenter movement. Documents in Mr. Bensch’s case indicate that on Jan. 6, 2021, he posted a video of himself outside the Capitol wearing body armor and a gas mask and carrying an AR-15-style rifle.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]
- The Suspect Posted A Video Of Himself Outside The Capitol Wearing Body Armor And A Gas Mask And Carrying An AR-15 Style Rifle. “What Mr. Friend omitted from his account was that while Mr. Bensch was charged with only misdemeanors, documents in his case say that on Jan. 6, he posted a video of himself outside the Capitol wearing body armor and a gas mask and carrying an AR-15-style rifle. The documents also say that witnesses later told the F.B.I. that they had seen photographs of Mr. Bensch carrying a similar rifle at other times.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
- The FBI Said Steve Friend “Espoused An Alternative Narrative About The Events At The U.S. Capitol” To Supervisors When Refusing To Participate In The Arrest Of The Suspect. “According to the letter, Mr. Friend ‘espoused an alternative narrative about the events at the U.S. Capitol’ during his communications with his supervisors about refusing to participate in the arrest of Mr. Bensch.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
Steve Friend Testified About Being Asked To Surveil A Person Who Attended A School Board Meeting – The Person In Question Was A Member Of The Three Percenter Movement And Under Counterterrorism Investigation And Was Later Arrested. “Mr. Friend also testified about being asked to surveil a person attending a school board meeting, touching on a claim promoted by Republicans that the government mistreated conservative parents. But according to the report, Mr. Friend conceded during his interview that the man being tracked was a Three Percenter who was under counterterrorism investigation. He was later arrested with Mr. Bensch and three other individuals.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]
- Southern Poverty Law Center Said Three Percenters Engage In Paramilitary Training And Organizing Under The Belief That A Small Force Can Overthrow A Tyrannical Government – Their Actions Have Repeatedly Led To Violence Against Citizens, Law Enforcement, And Residents. “Three Percenters often draw parallels between the U.S. government today and the British government in the 1700s, arguing that the current U.S. government is tyrannical and actively working to infringe on Americans’ Constitutional rights and liberties. They believe a small force of armed individuals can overthrow a tyrannical government, and many Three Percenters engage in paramilitary training and organizing to do so. Three Percenterism is at its core a vanguard extremist movement that claims to be ready to carry out armed resistance to perceived tyranny. Their perceptions of tyranny emanate from the radical conspiracy theories and paranoia rooted in the decades-old antigovernment extremist movement, and have repeatedly led to violence against America’s law enforcement, citizens and residents.” [Three Percenters, Southern Poverty Law Center, accessed 3/11/23; Anti-Defamation League, accessed 3/11/23]
The FBI Said Steve Friend Downloaded FBI Documents To An Unauthorized Flash Drive
The FBI Said Steve Friend Downloaded Documents From The FBI Computer Systems To An “Unauthorized Removable Flash Drive” In September 2022. “The letter also noted that in September 2022, Mr. Friend downloaded documents from F.B.I. computer systems to ‘an unauthorized removable flash drive.’ The letter did not specify what sorts of documents Mr. Friend had taken with him.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
Steve Friend Received Financial Support From Trump Ally Kash Patel
Steve Friend Testified That He Received Financial Support From Trump Loyalist, And Former High Ranking Official In The Trump Administration, Kash Patel – Patel Sent Friend $5,000 Almost Immediately After Connecting. “Mr. O’Boyle and Mr. Friend both testified that they had received financial support from Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist and former high-ranking official in the former president’s administration. Mr. Friend said Mr. Patel sent him $5,000 almost immediately after they connected in November 2022 and that Mr. Patel has helped to promote Mr. Friend’s forthcoming book on social media.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]
- Kash Patel Was Described As One Of Former President Trump’s “Staunchest Loyalists.” “Over the past year, one of Donald Trump’s staunchest loyalists, a rising star on the right named Kash Patel, has been soliciting donations and raising money for ‘Fight With Kash,’ a charity he launched after leaving the Trump administration two years ago.” [ABC News, 3/8/22]
- CNBC Reported That Kash Patel Became An “Influential Voice Arguing That [President Trump] Should Not Accept His Election Loss To President Joe Biden.” “Patel served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, and in the weeks following the 2020 presidential election, he became an influential voice arguing that the president should not accept his election loss to President Joe Biden.” [CNBC, 11/3/22]
Steve Friend Appeared On Conspiracy Theorist Mike Lindell’s Streaming Platform
HEADLINE: “Whistleblowers Steve Friend And Kyle Seraphin Discuss Corruption Within The FBI” [Anni Cyrus Unfiltered, 1/29/23] (video)
- Anni Cyrus’ Show Aired On Lindell TV Every Weekday At 3:30pm ET. According to Lindell TV, the Live Up to Freedom with Aynaz Anni Cyrus show aired on the platform Monday through Friday at 3:30pm ET. [Lindell TV, Shows, Accessed 5/17/23]
- My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell Was One Of The “Most Vocal Boosters” Of Conspiracy Theories About The 2020 Election. “Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has emerged as one of the most vocal boosters still pushing false claims about the 2020 election. In a series of so-called documentaries, Lindell has advanced an increasingly outlandish theory that foreign hackers broke into the computer systems of election offices like Clark County to switch votes – in what he has described as the ‘biggest cyber-crime in world history.’” [CNN, 8/5/21]
Steve Friend Is A Regular Contributor To An Online Publication Run By A QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Where He Downplayed The Plot To Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Steve Friend Is A Contributor To UncoverDC.
[UncoverDC, Accessed 5/17/23]
- Tracy Beanz Is The Editor-In-Chief Of UncoverDC. “Tracy Beanz is an investigative journalist who places a strong focus on politics. While writing for UncoverDC, she has brought the intricate details of several major stories to light, including corruption between Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Andrew McCabe who threatened the NY Office of the FBI during the Clinton email investigation. Tracy was one of the first journalists to conduct an hour-long face to face interview with George and Simona Papadopoulos the day after his release from prison and is known for her unbiased in-depth coverage of the spying scandal surrounding the candidacy of President Donald Trump, and beyond.” [UncoverDC, Accessed 5/17/23]
- Southern Poverty Law Center Said Tracy Beans Was An “Early And Prominent Supporter Of The QAnon Conspiracy Theory.” “Other high earners include Tracy Diaz, who has trafficked in a number of conspiracy theories. Diaz, known online as ‘Tracy Beanz,’ is a former Ron Paul staffer who has been widely reported as an early and prominent promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory that falsely holds that the world is run by a cabal of pedophiles. More recently, Diaz has promoted conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video guest appearance in February 2021, Diaz claimed the news media had exaggerated the pandemic as part of a broader conspiracy, which she explained as a bid for ‘power.’” [Southern Poverty Law Center, 6/3/22]
Steve Friend: “How Has Utilizing A Dozen Undercover Agents And Informants To Entrap And Criminally Charge A Small Group Of Men With Conspiring To ‘Kidnap’ The Governor Of Michigan Endeared The FBI To America?” According to a post by Steve Friend: “Wray calls for law enforcement agencies to ‘better engage with communities we serve to earn their trust and cooperation.’ Did Wray seriously believe that deploying the FBI’s hostage rescue team to aid the execution of a search warrant at the home of a former American president would earn trust and cooperation from the public? How has utilizing a dozen undercover agents and informants to entrap and criminally charge a small group of men with conspiring to ‘kidnap’ the governor of Michigan endeared the FBI to America? Does the FBI’s complete failure to achieve any perceivable progress in the identification and apprehension of the January 6th RNC/DNC pipe bomber warrant public praise and adulation?” [UncoverDC, Steve Friend, 1/11/23]
FORMER FBI STAFF OPERATIONS SPECIALIST MARCUS ALLEN TESTIFIED TO THE WEAPONIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE
May 18, 2023: Marcus Allen, Former FBI Staff Operations Specialist, Testified To The House Select Subcommittee On The Weaponization Of The Federal Government. “The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EST. The Committee will hear from three FBI whistleblowers and will examine abuses seen at the Bureau and how the FBI has retaliated against whistleblowers. WITNESSES: Garret O’Boyle, Whistleblower; FBI Special Agent Steve Friend, Whistleblower; former FBI Special Agent Marcus Allen, Whistleblower; FBI Staff Operations Specialist Tristan Leavitt, President, Empower Oversight; former Member of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 5/18/23]
The FBI Suspended Marcus Allen’s Security Clearance Because He Expressed Sympathy For “Persons Or Organizations That Advocate, Threaten Or Use Force Or Violence”
The FBI Suspended Marcus Allen’s Top Secret Security Clearance After It Found He “Expressed Sympathy For Persons Or Organizations That Advocate, Threaten Or Use Force Or Violence.” “Mr. Allen’s top-secret security clearance was revoked after the bureau found that he had ‘expressed sympathy for persons or organizations that advocate, threaten or use force or violence,’ the letter said.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
- Months After January 6th, The FBI Said Marcus Allen Sent An Email From His Bureau Account To Colleagues Urging Them To “Exercise Extreme Caution And Discretion In Pursuit Of Any Investigative Inquiries Or Leads Pertaining To The Events Of” January 6th. “F.B.I. investigators determined that Mr. Allen had sent an email from his bureau account to several colleagues months after the Capitol attack, urging them to ‘exercise extreme caution and discretion in pursuit of any investigative inquiries or leads pertaining to the events of’ Jan. 6, the letter said.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
The FBI Said Marcus Allen Sent An Email Linking To A Website That Spread The Conspiracy Theory That Federal Agents Instigated The Attack On The Capitol On January 6th
Marcus Allen Sent An Email Linking To A Website That Spread The Conspiracy Theory That Federal Agents Infiltrated Crowds Gathered At The Capitol On January 6th – Allen Commented It Raised “Serious Concerns” About The U.S. Government’s Participation In The Riot. “Mr. Allen also sent an email linking to a website stating that ‘federal law enforcement had some degree of infiltration among the crowds gathered at the Capitol,’ leading Mr. Allen to comment that this supposed fact raised ‘serious concerns’ about the U.S. government’s participation in the riot.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
The FBI Said Marcus Allen Failed To Provide Relevant Information To Fellow Agents Investigating January 6th About Suspects When Asked To Conduct Open Source Research
FBI Investigators Said Marcus Allen Reported That He Found No Information In Open Source Research That A January 6th Suspect Had Engaged In Criminal Activity Or Had Any “Nexus To Terrorism,” But Another Employee Found Publicly Available Information That The Suspect Assaulted Police Officers At The Capitol. “F.B.I. investigators also found that Mr. Allen, who filed a lawsuit against Mr. Wray last year contesting the initial suspension of his clearance, failed to provide relevant information to fellow agents investigating the riot about people who allegedly took part in the attack, the letter said. The letter noted that when another agent asked Mr. Allen to conduct open source research about a Jan. 6 suspect, he reported back that he had found no information that the person had engaged in any criminal activity or had any ‘nexus to terrorism.’ Based on Mr. Allen’s reports, the letter said, the other agent closed the case, but it was later reopened after a different F.B.I. employee discovered publicly available information showing that the target of the inquiry had assaulted police officers at the Capitol.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]
Judicial Watch Suggested Marcus Allen’s Views About What Happened On January 6th Contradicted Official FBI Accounts About The Attack On The Capitol
Judicial Watch: “The FBI Revoked His Security Clearance Because Apparently The FBI Believes That Any Views Contrary To Its Own Regarding What Occurred On January 6 Constitutes Disloyalty To The United States.” “Judicial Watch represents Allen in a lawsuit against FBI Director Christopher Wray for violating Allen’s constitutional rights by falsely accusing him of holding ‘conspiratorial views,’ stripping his security clearance, and suspending him from duty without pay (Marcus O. Allen v Christopher Wray (No. 22-cv-04536)). The FBI revoked his security clearance because apparently the FBI believes that any views contrary to its own regarding what occurred on January 6 constitutes disloyalty to the United States.” [Judicial Watch, Press Release, 5/15/23]
- Judicial Watch, A Conservative Activist Group, Was Representing Marcus Allen In A Lawsuit Against The FBI. “A conservative activist group has filed a lawsuit against the director of the FBI on behalf of a suspended federal employee living in Lancaster. […] The lawsuit was filed by the conservative activist group Judicial Watch, which has frequently backed conservative causes. ‘We are not a conventional law firm,’ the group boasts in its voice message while advising potential clients it does not help people with typical legal challenges. ‘Judicial Watch does investigate government corruption.’” [Post & Courier, 12/16/22]
FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT GARRETT O’BOYLE TESTIFIED TO THE WEAPONIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE
May 18, 2023: Garret O’Boyle, Former FBI Special Agent, Testified To The House Select Subcommittee On The Weaponization Of The Federal Government. “The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EST. The Committee will hear from three FBI whistleblowers and will examine abuses seen at the Bureau and how the FBI has retaliated against whistleblowers. WITNESSES: Garret O’Boyle, Whistleblower; FBI Special Agent Steve Friend, Whistleblower; former FBI Special Agent Marcus Allen, Whistleblower; FBI Staff Operations Specialist Tristan Leavitt, President, Empower Oversight; former Member of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Hearing, 5/18/23]
An FBI Official Said Garret O’Boyle Was Suspended From The FBI Because He Leaked Sensitive Investigative Information To The Right-Wing Group Project Veritas
Garret O’Boyle Was Reportedly Suspended From The FBI Because He Was Alleged To Have Leaked Sensitive Investigative Information To The Right-Wing Group Project Veritas. “Garret O’Boyle, an FBI agent who was presented in a public hearing by House Republicans as a whistleblower, was suspended by the bureau because internal investigators had concluded that he leaked sensitive investigative information to the right-wing group Project Veritas, according to a bureau official. House Democrats now accuse O’Boyle of lying to the committee and are referring the matter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, according to a letter obtained by NBC News.” [NBC News, 6/8/23]
An FBI Official Said Garret O’Boyle Removed Sensitive Information From FBI Computers And Provided It To Project Veritas Without Authorization And Some Information Project Veritas Shared Was Part Of An Active Criminal Investigation. “In addition to the interview, Moore said, the bureau’s investigation revealed that O’Boyle had also removed sensitive information from FBI computers and provided it to Project Veritas without authorization. Some of the information shared with the right-wing site was part of an active criminal investigation, she told the committee. There was an urgency to locate who was leaking the information because of the risk it presented, she said, according to the letter.” [NBC News, 6/8/23]
Garret O’Boyle Testified That He Never Provided Anyone Outside The FBI With Nonpublic Information Before He Was Suspended. “O’Boyle testified that he made Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the Weaponization subcommittee, aware of his suspension and had provided him with the letter informing him of the FBI’s decision. O’Boyle described the charge as nothing more than an allegation and claimed that he never provided anyone outside the agency with nonpublic information before he was suspended.” [NBC News, 6/8/23]
Garret O’Boyle Appeared To Believe Conspiracy Theories About January 6th And Covid-19 Vaccines
Garret O’Boyle Declined To Say That Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Died As A Result Of January 6th. “Garret O’Boyle declined to say that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died as a result of the actions of rioters during the attack on the Capitol. He compared COVID-19 vaccine acceptance to the actions of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a Nazi police force.” [U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats Report, 3/2/23]
Garret O’Boyle Likened Acceptance Of The Covid-19 Vaccine To The Actions Of A Nazi Police Force. “Garret O’Boyle declined to say that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died as a result of the actions of rioters during the attack on the Capitol. He compared COVID-19 vaccine acceptance to the actions of Reserve Police Battalion 101, a Nazi police force.” [U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats Report, 3/2/23]
Garret O’Boyle’s Attorney Worked To Overturn The 2020 Election Results In Nevada And Represented Trump In January 6th Cases
Garret O’Boyle Was Being Represented By Jesse Binnall, A Former Trump Campaign Attorney Who Worked To Overturn The 2020 Election Results In Nevada And Served As A Go-To Attorney For Trump In January 6th Litigation. “Garret O’Boyle, a third FBI whistleblower who spoke with committee staff, is represented by Jesse Binnall, former Trump campaign attorney who worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Nevada; Binnall now acts as one of Trump’s go-to attorneys for Jan. 6-related litigation.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]
- Daily Beast Described Jesse Binnall As Trump’s “Top Election-Fraud Lawyer.” “Former President Donald Trump and his top election-fraud lawyer, Jesse Binnall, have a number of things in common—they both falsely believe the election was stolen, they hobnob with some of the right’s most unhinged conspiracy theorists, and they routinely complain that they’re the focus of a witch hunt. But another similarity has flown under the radar: Both men avoid paying taxes.” [Daily Beast, 5/6/22]
- Jesse Binnall Falsely Claimed In Sworn Senate Testimony That 1,500 Dead People Had Voted In Nevada In 2020. “While Trump’s top lawyers have come and gone, Binnall has stepped into the vacuum and, so far, held on. He received his first paycheck the day before the 2020 election, and has expanded his services since then. Those services include fueling Trump’s Big Lie about a stolen election month after month in various courts and on social media. After receiving that first check, Binnall immediately proceeded to sling lies about voter fraud. At one point he falsely claimed—in sworn Senate testimony—that 1,500 dead people had voted in Nevada. (His election fraud work in that state may have also run afoul of privacy laws and U.S. Postal Service regulations, Salon reported.)” [Daily Beast, 5/6/22]
- Jesse Binnall Defended A Group Tied To Sidney Powell In A Lawsuit With Dominion Voting Systems. “Binnall also defends a group tied to conspiracy theorists Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood—called ‘Defending the Republic, Inc’—in the $1.3 billion lawsuit that Dominion Voting Systems brought against Powell last year. State and federal filings list him as an agent on spin-off groups as well.” [Daily Beast, 5/6/22]
- Jesse Binnall Told An Appellate Court That Former President Donald Trump Should Be Immune From January 6th Lawsuits And Claimed Trump Did Not Incite The Crowd To Violence That Day. “Former President Donald Trump is arguing that he should be immune from lawsuits that say he is to blame for the chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawyer Jesse Binnall told an appellate court that Mr. Trump did not incite the crowd in a speech near the White House that day. Instead, he said Mr. Trump’s call to ‘fight’ referred to political pressure, according to USA Today. ‘President Trump’s speech falls well within the broad scope of absolute immunity suggested by [the Department of Justice]. Absolute immunity aims to prevent the President from being subjected to the process of civil litigation,’ Mr. Binnall wrote to a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.” [Washington Times, 3/24/23]
Garret O’Boyle Was Connected To His Attorney Through Vocal Trump Ally Kash Patel Who Also Gave Him Money
Garret O’Boyle Said He Was Connected To Jesse Binnall Through Vocal Trump Ally Kash Patel. “O’Boyle told staff he’d been connected to Binnall through Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official and one of Trump’s most vocal defenders in his post presidency.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]
Garret O’Boyle Received An Undisclosed Sum Of Money From A Nonprofit Run By Vocal Trump Ally Kash Patel. “Both O’Boyle and Friend said they received payments from Patel through Fight with Kash, a nonprofit organization Patel established to provide ‘veteran and law enforcement financial support,’ according to Patel’s website. Friend received $5,000, he told congressional investigators; O’Boyle declined to share the amount.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]
- Kash Patel Was A Person Of Interest In Investigations Into Whether Trump Improperly Sought Help From The Ukrainians To Boost His 2020 Re-Election Chances, And He Pushed Trump To Dispute The Results Of The 2020 Election. “Friend received financial support from former Trump administration official Kash Patel, receiving $5,000 from Patel ‘shortly after’ the two met in September 2022. Patel served on Trump’s National Security Council and was suspected of being an independent backchannel to Ukraine. Patel became a person of interest in investigations into allegations that Trump improperly sought help from the Ukrainian government to boost his chances for reelection. Patel pushed Trump to dispute the results of the 2020 election and remains close to Trump, serving as a personal adviser and holding a seat on Trump’s social media company’s board.” [Monitoring Influence, Empower Oversight, Accessed 4/21/23]
House Democrats Accused Garret O’Boyle Of Lying Under Oath About Who Was Paying His Legal Fees
During A Public Hearing, Garret O’Boyle Responded “Not That I’m Aware Of” To A Question About Whether Trump Ally Kash Patel Was Helping Finance His Legal Counsel. “A key Republican witness is facing questions over whether he lied under oath about receiving financial aid from an ally of former US president Donald Trump. Garret O’Boyle, a former FBI field agent turned purported whistleblower, testified last week to a congressional panel investigating what Republicans assert is the ‘weaponisation’ of the federal government against conservatives. At one point, O’Boyle was asked by Democrat Dan Goldman whether Kash Patel, who held multiple roles in the Trump administration, is helping finance O’Boyle’s legal counsel. The witness replied: ‘Not that I’m aware of.’ The answer has raised eyebrows because, during a previous interview with the House of Representatives’ weaponisation subcommittee in February, O’Boyle disclosed that his legal fees are being paid by a nonprofit organisation called Fight With Kash, also known as the Kash Foundation and run by Kash Patel.” [The Guardian, 5/22/23]
During A Previous Interview With The Weaponization Subcommittee, Garret O’boyle Disclosed That His Legal Fees Were Being Paid For By Fight With Kash, Which Was Run By Trump Ally Kash Patel. “A key Republican witness is facing questions over whether he lied under oath about receiving financial aid from an ally of former US president Donald Trump. Garret O’Boyle, a former FBI field agent turned purported whistleblower, testified last week to a congressional panel investigating what Republicans assert is the ‘weaponisation’ of the federal government against conservatives. At one point, O’Boyle was asked by Democrat Dan Goldman whether Kash Patel, who held multiple roles in the Trump administration, is helping finance O’Boyle’s legal counsel. The witness replied: ‘Not that I’m aware of.’ The answer has raised eyebrows because, during a previous interview with the House of Representatives’ weaponisation subcommittee in February, O’Boyle disclosed that his legal fees are being paid by a nonprofit organisation called Fight With Kash, also known as the Kash Foundation and run by Kash Patel.” [The Guardian, 5/22/23
Garret O’Boyle Refused To Provide Committee Democrats With His Suspension Notice And Pay Suspension Notice
Garret O’Boyle Refused To Provide Committee Democrats With Equal Access To His Suspension Notice And Pay Suspension Notice, Which Would Likely List The Reason For His Suspension. “O’Boyle also repeated his belief that he’d been suspended by the FBI for his contact with Congress. When Democratic counsel asked O’Boyle to share his suspension notice to prove that, however, O’Boyle refused. He also refused to share his pay suspension notice, which would also have likely listed a reason, as well as the estimated 50 documents he had previously shared with congressional Republicans.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]
FORMER FBI ANALYST GEORGE HILL REPORTEDLY TESTIFIED ABOUT MATTERS OF WHICH HE HAD LITTLE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE
House Democrats Said George Hill, Who Claimed A Financial Institution Provided The FBI With Evidence Potentially Relevant To January 6th, Had No Knowledge Of The Origins Of Supposed Evidence, Never Used The Evidence Himself, And Never Looked At The Actual Document Containing Information. According to a report by House Judiciary Committee Democrats about witnesses Rep. Jim Jordan brought to testify to the Weaponization subcommittee: “Witness George Hill, who retired from the Boston Field Office as a supervisory intelligence analyst in October 2021, claimed to have learned that a financial institution provided the FBI with evidence it believed may be relevant to the January 6 Capitol attack investigations. He had no knowledge of the actual origins of this supposed evidence, never used the evidence himself, and never looked at the actual document containing the information. In fact, he did not even work on January 6 cases himself—at most, he supervised intelligence analysts who did research in support of ‘less than a dozen’ cases.7 Committee Democrats cannot reasonably find this testimony reliable. In any event, that a large financial institution may have provided evidence to the FBI in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol is hardly newsworthy, and certainly not evidence of FBI misconduct.” [U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats Report, 3/2/23]
- House Democrats: “That A Large Financial Institution May Have Provided Evidence To The FBI In The Aftermath Of The Attack On The Capitol Is Hardly Newsworthy, And Certainly Not Evidence Of FBI Misconduct.” According to a report by House Judiciary Committee Democrats about witnesses Rep. Jim Jordan brought to testify to the Weaponization subcommittee: “Witness George Hill, who retired from the Boston Field Office as a supervisory intelligence analyst in October 2021, claimed to have learned that a financial institution provided the FBI with evidence it believed may be relevant to the January 6 Capitol attack investigations. He had no knowledge of the actual origins of this supposed evidence, never used the evidence himself, and never looked at the actual document containing the information. In fact, he did not even work on January 6 cases himself—at most, he supervised intelligence analysts who did research in support of ‘less than a dozen’ cases.7 Committee Democrats cannot reasonably find this testimony reliable. In any event, that a large financial institution may have provided evidence to the FBI in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol is hardly newsworthy, and certainly not evidence of FBI misconduct.” [U.S. House Judiciary Committee Democrats Report, 3/2/23]
George Hill Embraced Conspiracy Theories That A Federal Informant Instigated Trump Supporters To Attack The Capitol On January 6th
George Hill Embraced A Conspiracy Theory That An Arizona Man Was A Federal Informant Who Helped Instigate The Attack On The Capitol On January 6th. “The report also said that Mr. Hill had embraced a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was a federal informant who helped to instigate the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prominent Republicans — including Mr. Trump — have widely promoted the claim, which Mr. Epps denies and the House Jan. 6 committee determined to be unfounded.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]
George Hill Claimed January 6th Was A “Set Up,” That There Was A “Larger Democrat Plan Using Their Enforcement Arm, The FBI” And He Described The FBI As “The Brown Shirt Enforcers Of The DNC.” “Mr. Hill has claimed on Twitter that the Jan. 6 attack was a ‘set up,’ and that there was ‘a larger #Democrat plan using their enforcement arm, the #FBI.’ He also described the F.B.I. as ‘the Brown Shirt enforcers of the @DNC,’ making an apparent reference to Nazi storm troopers to describe the federal law enforcement agency and its relationship to the Democratic National Committee.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]
George Hill Tweeted “Insurrection My A$$.” “Democrats sought to highlight Hill’s ‘bias’ about the chain of events surrounding the January 6 riot by sharing in their report numerous tweets by Hill. Hill tweeted, for instance, ‘insurrection my a$$’ and that the riot was a ‘set up’; however, Hill wrote all of the Democrats’ cited tweets after he left the FBI.” [Breitbart, 3/6/23]