Lawyer representing fired FBI agent says bureau’s whistleblower program ‘broken’

Under President Joe Biden’s leadership, conservatives have felt the pressure of a politicized Justice Department, and now, as FBI whistleblowers have felt the sting of speaking out against the agency’s weaponization, one of their attorneys is calling on Congress to act and repair the “broken” system.

(Video: Fox News)

In September, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) demanded answers from FBI Director Christopher Wray after a whistleblower came forward to report that the agency had been redirecting resources from child sexual abuse investigations toward over-representing the concern posed by so-called “domestic violent extremism” in the form of conservatives exercising their First Amendment rights. Days later, the identity of that whistleblower was said to be revealed as 12-year veteran Steven Friend was escorted out of the Daytona Beach, FL FBI field office facing a suspension.

Saturday, Friend’s co-counsel Dan Meyer joined Rachel Campos Duffy on “Fox & Friends Weekend” where he asserted, “The FBI whistleblower program is broken, which is why Congress needs to be involved directly because Congress is the entity that can fix that.”

As Meyer pointed out, oversight authorities like DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and special counsel for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel Henry Kerner have been made aware of the suspension, “and now the oversight has to begin and if there are violations of law, rule, and regulation that have taken place then the director needs to be held accountable.”

“We thought they were great rules, and on paper, they are. The problem is the functionaries within the FBI have administered that program so it’s long and drawn out,” the attorney went on to point out as he recounted how one of his clients has been dealing with a legal challenge for five years after Campos Duffy asked if it would take Republican control of Congress to resolve these issues.

In the meantime, Jordan has sought answers from FBI executive assistant director of the Human Resources branch Jennifer Moore writing, “During the course of this investigation, we have received protected whistleblower disclosures that the FBI is engaging in a ‘purge’ of employees with conservative views by revoking their security clearances and indefinitely suspending these employees.”

“As we informed Director Christopher Wray,” the lawmaker continued, “we take whistleblower retaliation seriously and we, therefore, require that you appear for a transcribed interview as soon as possible.”

The FBI has denied any such wrongdoing and a spokesperson contended “FBI employees who report evidence of wrongdoing through a protected disclosure are protected from retaliation,” and yet the agency still appeared to find reasons to suspend the whistleblowers seemingly skirting the protections set forth.

“[Whistleblowers] like Steven have to be really, really courageous,” Meyer asserted, “because remember if you have a spouse and children and a family, and you’re midway in your career–that’s an incredible burden to place on your shoulders for the benefit of the American public. And that’s why our whistleblowers are heroes and heroines.”

Kevin Haggerty

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