FBI Taking Action Against Employees Involved In January 6 Rallies, GOP Letter Says

The FBI has frozen the security clearances and is potentially preparing to fire FBI agents who participated in demonstrations on January 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., according to a GOP lawmaker.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to FBI director Christopher Wray on Friday citing “several whistleblowers” and expressing concern that the bureau was retaliating against agents for engaging in “First Amendment protected activity.” The New York Post first reported Jordan’s letter.

“According to several whistleblowers, the FBI is suspending the security clearances of FBI employees for their participation in protected First Amendment activity on January 6, 2021,” Jordan wrote. “Because a security clearance is required for FBI positions, the suspension of the security clearance means the FBI has suspended these employees from work indefinitely. Such a suspension is likely to be the first step in terminating employment.”

The Ohio Republican said that the Inspector General of the Department of Justice is looking into the bureau’s actions in case they “violate federal civil service laws.”

The FBI took action against its agents under “Adjudicative Guideline A — Allegiance to the United States,” according to the letter. The citation suggests that “the FBI believes the employees who attended protests on January 6 are no longer loyal to the United States,” Jordan said. He noted that none of the FBI agents in question were involved in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

“One such targeted employee is [redacted] working in the FBI’s [redacted] who also honorably served in the United States military for over 20 years,” said Jordan’s letter, with some parts appearing to contain identifying information about the FBI agents redacted. “[redacted] has been working for the FBI for more than a decade. According to whistleblowers, while on leave, these FBI employees attended public events in Washington, D.C., with their spouses. We have been told that [redacted] and the other FBI employees did not enter the United States Capitol, have not been charged with any crime, and have not been contacted by law enforcement about their actions.”

Jordan called the FBI’s actions “extremely concerning” and said they suggested a deeper problem of political bias that has infected the top levels of the investigative agency.

“Even more insulting is that the FBI would openly question the patriotism of long-time FBI employees, including at least one veteran, because they exercised their First Amendment rights on their personal time without breaking any laws,” Jordan said.

“The totality of the FBI’s actions as relayed to us present the appearance that the FBI may be retaliating against these employees for disfavored political speech,” he continued. “This perception is buttressed by documented examples of political bias ingrained the FBI’s leadership culture—for example, when a senior FBI official wrote derisively to a colleague that he ‘could SMELL the Trump support’ at a Walmart in southern Virginia, or when an FBI attorney altered evidence in support of the FBI’s warrantless surveillance of a Trump campaign associate.”

“Finally, we remind you that whistleblower disclosures to Congress are protected by law and that we will not tolerate any effort to retaliate against whistleblowers for their disclosures. We look forward to receiving your prompt cooperation with this inquiry,” Jordan concluded.

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