EXCLUSIVE: House Democrats Lied About Whistleblower In Leak To Corrupt Media

According to an exclusive letter from The Federalist, House Democrats claimed that an FBI whistleblower’s claim for retaliation was being dismissed. This is a lie. An investigation is underway into the claims of Special Agent Steve Friend. 

Last week, Democrats from the House Judiciary Committee released a leaked document. “staff report” It contained many misrepresentations about The New York Times. Monday’s letter addressed to Inspector General Michael Horowitz stated that. The letter — signed by Tristen Leavitt, the president of Empower Oversight, the legal services firm representing Friend — began by condemning the “Forward” From Jerry Nadler, committee ranking member and Stacey Plaskett, subcommittee rank member. They declared by fiat without any evidence. “[T]he three individuals we have met [including Friend] are not, in fact, ‘whistleblowers.'”

The letter stated that Friend was indeed a whistleblower. Leavitt stated that Democrats also falsely asserted and repeated throughout their report, which was distributed to numerous media outlets, that the Office of Inspector General rejected Friend’s whistleblower retaliation claims. “These mischaracterizations in the Democrat staff report were subsequently parroted by multiple media outlets,” CNN, The Washington Post included. 

Leavitt’s correspondence states, contrary to Democrats’ assertions, which were echoed in friendly media outlets’ reports, that Friend’s whistleblower retaliation lawsuit, originally filed September 2022 with the DOJ, still pending with its inspector general. Friend has also alleged “systematic abuses of the Constitution, laws, and policy by the FBI,” In December 2022 these allegations were referred by Empower Oversight to FBI’s Inspection Division. Empower Oversight reported that in subsequent inquiries the OIG clarified that it did not refer to Friend’s claims of whistleblower retaliation. 

Actually, the trend has been upwards since. “Special Agent Friend and Empower Oversight continued to furnish additional information” To the OIG and the inspector general continues receiving and evaluating information,” the letter stated. This was to clarify the attorneys’ understanding about the current investigation. The OIG’s intent was understood by the attorneys of friend “to interview Friend in order to obtain a more complete understanding of his allegations and fully assess both his underlying disclosures as well as his retaliation claims.” 

Some media still use the OIG without asking for comment. “uncritically repeated” Democrats falsely claim that the inspector general rejected Friend’s claims. Horowitz remained silent when asked by other media outlets for clarification and comment on the case of Friend.

“This suggests a disturbing situation in which your office’s silence is allowing its reputation for neutrality and objectivity to be hijacked by partisans and their media allies to leave a false impression with the public — all in the service of undermining a whistleblower for political purposes,” Leavitt wrote. 

Given the inspector general’s silence, Empower Oversight requested an update on the status of his office’s investigation into Friend’s whistleblower retaliation complaint — something his attorneys should not have to request. But, given the Democrats’ lies it appears that it is necessary to correct this record.

Monday’s letters also chastised House Democrats over leaking transcripts from Friend’s depositions. “without authorization of the Committee.” This is in direct violation of what the committee had promised Friend it would do with the transcripts “confidentially,” Addition of the letter

However, the leaks are likely to continue and, unfortunately, so will all of the lies.

Margot is The Federalist’s senior legal correspondent. Her work has also been featured in National Review Online and Townhall.com. Cleveland is a lawyer and a graduate of the Notre Dame Law School, where she earned the Hoynes Prize—the law school’s highest honor. Later, she served as a seven-year term law clerk on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals for almost 25 years. Cleveland, a former university professor and adjunct teacher, is now an ex-full-time faculty member. Cleveland, a mother of a child with cystic-fibrosis and a homeschooler, writes frequently about culture. Follow Cleveland on Twitter @ProfMJCleveland Cleveland’s private views may be expressed here.