Whistleblowers say FBI, DOJ have double standards

Najuma WilkinsonJuly 29, 2022

Erika Ramirez, a whistleblower and former chief psychologist at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, testifies as the Senate Permanent Subcommittee On Investigations holds a hearing on charges of corruption and misconduct at the prison, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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UPDATED 11:00 AM PT – Friday, July 29, 2022

A House Republican alleged that whistleblowers said the FBI has been tampering with official records and investigations to cover-up scandals created by the Biden administration. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan (R) suggested the FBI exaggerated domestic terrorism statistics to hit performance metrics manufactured by the bureau itself.

On Wednesday, Jordan wrote a letter to the agency’s director sharing alleged whistleblower accounts. He said through these accounts he found that FBI officials are “pressuring agents to reclassify cases as domestic violent extremism” even if the cases do not meet the criteria. Jordan went on to say one whistleblower has called it an environment of “pressure” as superiors use these metrics to give awards and promotions.

They contend the manipulation is done to satisfy the Biden administration’s narrative that domestic violent extremism is America’s “greatest threat.” One of the implicated operatives is Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault who was also among those previously accused of covering up Hunter Biden’s money trail.

🚨 #BREAKING 🚨

Whistleblowers: FBI Leadership Pressuring Agents to Artificially Pad Domestic Terrorism Data pic.twitter.com/fGuQbUbjX3

— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) July 27, 2022

On Monday, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) accused the FBI of a widespread effort to discredit any unfavorable, but legitimate information about the president’s son leading up to the 2020 presidential election.

“This guy by the name of Thibault,” Grassley said. “All you got to do is go back to a lot of his social media stuff and then very partisan comments. He was the one making these decisions to shut down or open an investigation. I brought that information to Director Wray, or let’s put it this way, I put out a press release and that guy was moved out of that decision making process.”

.⁦@ChuckGrassley⁩ office has been in contact with credible whistleblowers who acknowledged that FBI officials were asked to downplay Evidence of Hunter Biden’s activity/ his laptop and push the claim that these truths were disinformation 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/ACqV21C3x3

— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) July 26, 2022

In October 2020, just one month before the election, Thibault allegedly ordered to shut down an avenue of derogatory Hunter Biden reporting. This allegation came when a whistleblower told Grassley there has been a pattern of active partisanship at the bureau on matters about investigations of the Trump campaign and Hunter’s suspicious financial deals.

To seemingly counter GOP’s investigative efforts, Grassley said that in August 2020 he and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) were subjected to a “unnecessary” briefing from the FBI which they said had been “weaponized” against sitting members of the senate.

“I want to know what concrete steps Wray’s is going to take to shut down this partisan approach,” Grassley shared. “This is hurting the credibility of the FBI. People ought to have confidence in the FBI.”

Whistleblowers perform an important service for the public and the Department of Justice when they report evidence of wrongdoing.

To submit a complaint concerning wrongdoing by DOJ employees or within DOJ programs, go to https://t.co/KX67oDN6Wf

— DOJ Inspector General (@JusticeOIG) July 29, 2022

Regardless, Grassley contends that if the allegations made by the whistleblowers are legitimate then both the Justice Department and FBI are institutionally corrupt to their very core.