“It is clear from these disclosures, and especially in the wake of Special Counsel John Durham’s report, that the FBI has become politically weaponized,” the report said.
The morning that the report was released, Republicans mounted a press conference to discuss its findings.
Led by Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the conference included Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), and others.
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.): “This is not a conspiracy theory. This is actually testimony that these brave whistleblowers have given us. That is not America that I know.”
Findings of the Report
Among other findings, the report reveals the ways that the FBI sought to inflate domestic terrorism figures, particularly in regards to Jan. 6 cases. According to the report, the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) pressured its Boston office to investigate 140 individuals in connection to Jan. 6.However, only two of the 140 people so much as entered the Capitol.
This fits with past allegations claiming that the FBI has sought to inflate the number of domestic violence extremism incidents (DVEs). President Joe Biden and Democrats have long claimed that home-grown terrorism is the greatest threat to American national security, and Republicans claim that the inflation of DVEs is to serve this narrative.
In the report, Republicans wrote: “FBI leadership pressured agents to reclassify cases as [DVEs], and even manufactured DVE cases where they may not otherwise exist.”
This may have been a reference to the FBI’s alleged role in a 2021 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. At least 12 FBI agents are accused of having participated in, planned, and encouraged the plot.
The goal of these efforts, the report said, is “to create the perception that DVE is organically rising around the country.”
Another finding in the report revealed that Bank of America had provided the FBI with confidential information about its customers’ bank transactions in Washington on Jan. 6. Those known to have purchased a firearm through their Bank of America account were bumped to the top of this disclosure. Customers were not informed of this transfer of data.
Other whistleblower allegations claim that the FBI created a “threat tag” to target pro-life individuals and organizations in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the federal right to abortion.
In September 2022, the FBI raided the home of Matthew Houck, a pro-life Catholic, for having obstructed access to an abortion provider.
Still, other whistleblower claims backed by leaked documents reveal that the FBI has also targeted so-called “radical-traditionalist Catholics,” dubbing them “RTCs.” The leaked documents accused traditional and Latin Mass Catholic communities of being a harbor for “white supremacism” and indicated that the FBI intended to place informants in these churches.
Whistleblower Retaliation
The report revealed that each of the whistleblowers who came forward “described retaliatory conduct that they have faced after making protected disclosures.”Cammack confirmed that Republicans had discovered a “pattern” of retaliation against whistleblowers.
In the most shocking of these cases—that of Special Agent Garret O‘Boyle—a whistleblower was moved across the country by the FBI. When O’Boyle and his family arrived in Virginia, O'Boyle learned that he had been suspended without pay, effectively “rendering his family homeless.”
The FBI also has refused to relinquish possession of his personal belongings, including his young children’s clothing.
Special Agent Stephen Friend was also placed on unpaid suspension, with the FBI refusing to allow him to take other employment during this time. Friend also had his security clearance denied.
Asked about this apparent retaliation, Cammack reported, the FBI suggested it was merely a “coincidence.”
“It’s a coincidence that they leave these people in a position where they cannot seek outside employment, they cannot access their personal belongings, despite the fact that these men have served their country. But even worse, their loyalty to the nation has been questioned. This is truly the weaponization of government,” Cammack said.
The report comes as Republicans continue to investigate the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
The move has some support.
Some Republicans, including Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) told the Epoch Times that they would back Greene’s unprecedented move to remove a director of the FBI.
However, it remains unclear if this push can win wider support.
In response to a query from The Epoch Times about the allegations, the FBI denied having acted in a retaliatory way against the whistleblowers.
“The FBI’s mission is to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people,” the FBI spokesperson said. “The FBI has not and will not retaliate against individuals who make protected whistleblower disclosures.”
