Abrams: Crusade to show FBI working against GOP falls short
(NewsNation) — It seems the efforts to show the FBI is somehow weaponized or politicized against Republicans has hit yet another speed bump.
Jim Jordan, chair of the House Select Subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government, was among those promising a significant group of FBI whistleblowers were going to come in to prove that the FBI had become corrupted. It seems that effort isn’t exactly going as planned.
Now, in full transparency, I say this as someone who supports our local cops, sheriff’s departments, state troopers and the FBI. I remain troubled by this push by some on the right to try to turn the FBI into a caricature, suggesting they’re all a bunch of political hacks.
Apparently, three witnesses have come in so far for private interviews, according to a 300-page report just released by House Democrats. So again, take that with a grain of salt.
The report says “The three individuals we have met are not in fact, whistleblowers. These individuals who put forward a wide range of conspiracy theories did not present actual evidence of any wrongdoing at the DOJ or the FBI.”
CNN reviewed the transcripts of their interviews and reported that “none of them appear to have had their claims validated by government entities that grant federal whistleblower protections.”
“One who alleged there was FBI wrongdoing had their claims rejected. Another is retired and it’s unclear whether he has first-hand knowledge of the violations he alleges. The third has not revealed his direct disclosures or FBI suspension notice to House Democrats,” the report continues.
And according to that report, each endorses an alarming series of conspiracy theories related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the COVID vaccine and the validity of the 2020 election.
One called repeatedly for the dismantling of the FBI. Another suggested that it would be better for Americans to die than to have any kind of domestic intelligence program.
Jim Jordan responded in a statement saying, “It is beyond disappointing but sadly not surprising that Democrats would leak cherry-picked excerpts of testimony to attack the brave whistleblowers who risked their careers to speak out on abuses at the Justice Department and FBI.”
But that’s not a denial of the substance of what CNN and House Democrats have reported about the so-called whistleblowers thus far.
Now remember, last month, Jordan promised to get the transcripts of what he said were dozens of whistleblower interviews to Democrats.
Look, it’s a lot easier to make sweeping statements about how bad all cops are or FBI is than it is to back it up with evidence.
Reminder: This is an FBI that’s led by Republican Chris Wray and was appointed by former President Trump, an FBI that’s never in its history had a Democratic leader.
Has the FBI made mistakes? Absolutely and some big ones. The inspector general of the DOJ wrote a scathing report about it. But the report and a bipartisan Senate committee looked into politicization and found no evidence that the FBI’s actions, for example, in opening the Russia investigation, were politically motivated.
I’m more than open to hearing about wrongdoing by law enforcement. After all, accountability is critical to maintaining faith in law enforcement. But when the left and the right make sweeping allegations against law enforcement, I want to see the receipts. And while it’s maybe still early, so far, this House subcommittee is struggling to deliver any evidence that the FBI as a whole is somehow politicized.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author, and not of NewsNation.