Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio ripped the FBI for allegedly retaliating against whistleblowers during a Friday morning appearance on Fox News.
“In the past several weeks, they’ve raided the home of a former president, taken the phone of a sitting member of Congress,” Jordan told host Harris Faulkner, “and we saw what they did to the pastor and his family and seven children — 20 agents, guns drawn, going through his house when the local officials said there was no crime whatsoever.”
Jordan referenced the Sept. 23 arrest of pro-life activist Mark Houck on charges related to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by armed FBI agents who allegedly pointed guns at Houck, his wife and kids.
“So that’s what’s going on at the FBI, and now what’s happening is the people who are brave enough to take whistleblower status and come talk to us, they’re coming after them,” Jordan continued.
“A few weeks ago when we first talked about this, Merrick Garland sent out a memorandum to everyone in the Justice Department — here are the rules and guidelines for when you talk to Congress.
“It was a memo to chill their speech and since that we’ve learned of people’s security clearances being revoked and now suspensions for FBI whistleblowers who come to us. If that’s not retaliation, tell me what it is, because it sure looks that way.”
Jordan and other Republican representatives wrote FBI Executive Assistant Director Jennifer Leigh Moore on Thursday alleging retaliation against whistleblowers. One whistleblower alleged that the FBI was pulling agents from child sex abuse investigations to pursue participants in last year’s Capitol incursion.
“The FBI does not target or take adverse action against employees for exercising their First Amendment rights or for their political views; to allege otherwise is false and misleading. The FBI is required to follow established policies and procedures, to include a thorough investigation, when suspending or revoking a security clearance,” the FBI said in a statement read by Faulkner on-air.
“Established policies and procedures? Are you kidding me?” Jordan said in response.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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