Arguments from Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government against whether the testimony from three FBI agents Thursday made them whistleblowers obscures the purpose of the hearing: to show that they faced retaliation for their actions, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., said.
"Activists in the FBI and the Department of Justice have weaponized the full weight of their agencies against everyday Americans," Johnson said. "The alarming examples that have been highlighted by this committee are shocking to the sensibilities of all the people that we represent, and they want us to get action and answers and accountability."
He pointed out that the FBI wanted to label parents at school board meetings as domestic terrorists, and "that they sought to recruit spies and informants inside the congregations of traditional Catholic churches.
"We know that they worked with the social media platforms hand in hand almost as partners over the last two election cycles to censor and silence conservatives online that they disagreed with."
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., meanwhile, pointed out that whistleblowers are protected while coming to members of Congress with what they believe is accurate information.
"Is there any question but that people can have a reasonable belief, for example, that going after everyone who came in on Jan. 6 on a bus and getting their financial records from Bank of America would be inappropriate?" he asked.
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., though, argued that the three disciplined agents who testified, Garret O'Boyle, Stephen Friend, and Marcus Allen, were speaking out because they have "employment grievances" with the FBI, not because they are whistleblowers.
"Maybe those grievances are legitimate or maybe some aspects of it is legitimate," he said. "All of you have careers, and I'm sorry for the situation in which you find yourselves.
"But this is not a forum for individual members of any federal agency, unless there's a broad pattern of discrimination or violation of law, to air their employment grievances. I must say listening to this hearing, I don't walk away convinced of anything other than we're listening to sad tales of certain individuals about their situation."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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