“Are you or have you ever been a member of the communist party?” was one of my first thoughts upon hearing of a certain FBI line of questioning.
That question was a common refrain in 1950s congressional hearings in what came to be known as the McCarthy Era.
Except now, the FBI, in determining fitness for a security clearance, is in effect asking: “Are you now or have you ever been a Trump supporter?”
That’s how far we’ve fallen.
Indeed, John Solomon, in a Just The News story about FBI scrutiny of federal employees began his piece with thoughts similar to mine.
“The New McCarthyism?” was Solomon’s first sentence.
Inquiry on support for former President Donald Trump was only one part of an FBI checklist that may have deemed a veteran federal worker unworthy of a continued security clearance.
The federal agency also wanted to know if the employee committed apparent wrongthink regarding COVID and the Second Amendment, according to Solomon’s story.
The security review was based upon witness statements the FBI obtained in reviewing the security clearance.
Should the FBI be abolished?
Three witness statements were contained in Solomon’s story and are available online.
According to the witness queries from the FBI’s Security Division, the witnesses and the man being investigated apparently were already holders of security clearances.
The questions were based upon “allegation [name redacted] engaged in conduct that calls into question his ability to maintain a Top Secret Security clearance,” according to national security guidelines, the FBI documents said.
The witnesses were asked if the man vocalized support for former President Trump, objection to COVID shots, or an intent to attend the Jan. 6 demonstration in Washington.
They were also asked if the man attended the January 18, 2021, Richmond Lobby Day regarding gun rights.
The man’s security clearance was revoked not long after the witness reports were made, Solomon wrote.
Reporting back to the FBI, one witness preceded a question about Trump support with a large hand-drawn exclamation point and then stated that the man “very significantly supported” Trump.
The witness said the man also listened to talk shows saying Democrats stole the 2020 election.
Another witness described the man as a “definite Trump supporter” with “strong Republican values.”
The man opposed masks and COVID vaccination – “not vaccinated … and tried not to wear mask.” Another witness described the man as “anti-vaccination” and someone who talked about alternatives to stay healthy.
The man was described by a witness as very active in Second Amendment issues. Another described the man as a “gun nut.” The man was also described having attended all Second Amendment gatherings.
Although a witness described the man as having “militant points of view,” none of the witnesses said the man would engage in violence. “Never implied [he] would do anything aggressive/physical,” one said.
So the man who lost his security clearance was demonstrated to be a Trump supporter, was against COVID shots and masking, and desired to attend the Jan. 6 demonstrations but was discouraged and apparently dissuaded from attending.
It’s not clear what other questions may have been posed to the man or to those who knew him.
But the direction of the questioning — and the soon-to-follow revocation of a security clearance — imply application of a specific litmus test by the FBI regarding beliefs and constitutionally protected actions by a federal employee that appear to be frowned on by the agency.
Again, how far we’ve fallen.
It brings to mind another phrase from the McCarthy Era, the statement by lawyer Joseph Welch at the 1954 televised Army-McCarthy hearings, a statement then directed at Sen. Joseph McCarthy after the Wisconsin Democrat-turned-Republican accused an aide of young Welch of being a communist.
Without us discussing the rights or wrongs of things McCarthy did in those long ago days, Welch’s statement was one that should be directed at the FBI’s long cherished former reputation.
That statement, for the security clearance issue and for many other things –“Have you no sense of decency?”
