News/Commentary

Fmr. agent emotionally testifies there ‘became two FBIs,’ details what she experienced first hand

February 10, 2023 | | Print Article

Last month former FBI special agent turned whistleblower Nicole Parker penned a stunning op-ed for Fox News detailing why she “walked away from the FBI and the career [she] once loved.”

On Thursday, Parker reappeared in the spotlight once again at a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee hearing on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government.”

During the hearing, she delivered emotional testimony about how the FBI has changed dramatically since she joined the agency in 2009.

“Over the course of my 12-plus years of service, the FBI’s trajectory transformed. On
paper, the bureau’s mission remained the same, but its priorities and governing
principles shifted dramatically. The FBI became politically weaponized, starting from the top in Washington, trickling down to the field offices,” she said.

“It’s as if there became two FBI’s. Americans see this, and it is destroying the Bureau’s credibility, causing Americans to lose faith in the agency and therefore the hardworking and highly ethical agents who still do the heavy lifting and pursue noble cases. It makes it difficult for agents to do their job when the FBI loses the respect of the American people,” Parker added.

Listen to some of her testimony below:

She further noted that there’s “also been a shift in recruiting practices — a lowering of the eligibility requirements — which is negatively impacting the agency’s performance.”

This fits with other reports documenting the shift in recruiting practices also occurring in the military.

“All this adds up to a loss of trust in the FBI by many Americans and low morale among many FBI employees. For many, becoming a special agent was their calling in life, but now it’s merely a dangerous, high-risk job with minimal contentment. Wary of consequences that come with voicing their displeasure, these agents keep their heads low, work hard, stay off the radar, and count down the days until they collect their well-deserved pension,” Parker continued.

“For me, distancing myself from egregious mistakes, immoral behavior, politically charged actions taken by a small but destructive few FBI employees, became exhausting. Although I was always treated with the highest level of respect in the Miami Division, I no longer felt that I was the type of agent the FBI valued,” she said.

“I began to lose passion for the career I’d loved,” she added.

Nevertheless, she stuck through it for the time being, with her “positive performance reviews, awards and accolades,” as well as her work with victims, helping sustain her.

But then came late 2022, when she finally decided to leave and, more importantly, begin speaking out publicly about what’s been happening at the FBI.

In the op-ed she wrote last month, she went into far more detail about the type of politicization she observed at the bureau. As one example, she recalled what happened during the violent Black Lives Matter riots of 2020.

“[O]n June 4, 2020, images and videos surfaced online of special agents in their FBI-marked ballistic vests kneeling to protesters in Washington, D.C., while on official duty protecting our nation’s institutions. Although agents have their First Amendment rights, they are not at liberty to publicly express any potential political support while on duty wearing official FBI gear,” she wrote.

“Some claimed they knelt for de-escalation purposes but images revealed some agents clapping and smiling! They hardly seemed to be in danger. In fact, the agents posted at another building nearby remained standing during the entire protest. On top of that, there was no reprimand for any of the agents who knelt that day. In fact, many ended up getting highly sought-after promotions and were offered $100 gift cards by the FBI Agents Association,” she added.

“For many agents nationwide, it was upsetting to see the lack of judgment by the kneelers, much less their apparent political statements while on the job. And the fact that they were treated like heroes by some FBI managers was appalling. It’s as if there became two FBIs,” she continued, echoing what she’d later say during Thursday’s hearing.

The left has thus far predictably ignored virtually everything she’s said, all while pretending that the GOP’s claim of there being FBI whistleblowers is made-up.

Indeed, during one point in the hearing, rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat, demanded to know when the committee will hear from these whistleblowers.

“You talk about dozens of whistleblowers. When are we gonna get that information?” he at one point asked committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican.

Jordan replied by pointing out that Democrats were at that very moment getting “that information” courtesy of Parker’s testimony.

He added that more whistleblowers would testify in time. Not that Democrats and their media allies will be paying attention.

Listen:

Vivek Saxena
Latest posts by Vivek Saxena (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles