FBI Whistleblower Credits Faith for Coming Forward

An FBI whistleblower said his Catholic faith and his desire to serve the public motivated him to question the bureau's leadership.

Marcus Allen, a former FBI staff operations specialist, saw his security clearance get revoked in March 2022 when the bureau claimed it had "security concerns" about his "allegiance to the United States."

The FBI said Allen had withheld "relevant information" related to defendants from the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol, and it cited concerns over how his views of the events that day were affecting his work, according to a letter the bureau sent to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

In June, Allen's security clearance was reinstated, and the former Marine was awarded 27 months of back pay and benefits.

"I felt convicted in my actions by the Holy Spirit," Allen told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) for a story published Tuesday night.

Allen said he felt the need to "speak up" because "silence" can make someone an "accomplice to sin."

"I consider myself a faithful Catholic Christian animated by the Gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," Allen told the news outlet, noting that he regularly prays the rosary and the Chaplet of the Holy Spirit.

Allen said his security clearance was revoked after he raised concerns with his supervisors about FBI Director Christopher Wray's testimony concerning the events of Jan. 6.

Allen told CNA he asked whether confidential informants were present during the Capitol attack.

He also said he believed his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine contributed to losing his security clearance.

While testifying in front of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Sept. 25, Allen said his suspension was a form of retaliation. He told lawmakers that during the discovery process, his attorneys found that an FBI official called him "delusional" for praying to the Holy Spirit in his decision-making process.

Another official referred to him as "over the top" regarding his opinions on politics, religion, and COVID-19, CNA reported.

Allen's attorneys argued that the FBI's decision to revoke his security clearance was partially based on his religious beliefs, which are protected under the Constitution.

"There are pretty disturbing comments about my faith [in the discovery documents]," Allen told CNA. "... My faith apparently was a problem for these people."

Allen said his questions about Jan. 6 and COVID-19 appeared to be the primary motive for alleged FBI retaliation but that "it started to bubble to the surface that they also had an issue with my faith."