The House Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government met for the first time Thursday to investigate what Republicans said is an anti-conservative bias at the FBI and Department of Justice. But one of the most notable moments came when a former FBI agent started crying when she listed all the crimes she investigated during her career.
The crimes include:
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.
- 2017 Fort Lauderdale airport shooting.
- The Cesar Sayoc pipe bomb case.
- Multi-million dollar Ponzi schemes.
- Crimes at sea.
- Bank robberies.
- Murders for hire.
- Sexual assault.
- Extortion.
“Yes, it was physically taxing and emotionally jarring. But I believed I was making an impactful difference,” former agent Nicole Parker said.
Parker also discussed concerns she had about bias at the FBI. She said the agency shifted recruiting practices and lowered the eligibility requirements which has negatively impacted the agency’s performance.
“The bureau’s mission has remained the same but its priorities and governing principles shifted dramatically. The FBI became politically weaponized starting from the top of Washington and trickling down to the field offices,” Parker said. “Lady Justice must remain blind. Those that do not uphold these responsibilities cause a negative ripple effect throughout the agency in the field.”
The committee was created by House Republicans and is led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
To start the hearing, Jordan listed more than a dozen whistleblowers who have tried to tell Congress about cases of alleged bias in agency investigations, including cases in which the whistleblower was then suspended after speaking out.
The cases of alleged bias include the FBI creating a threat tag for parents voicing concerns at school board meetings, and agents being pressured to reclassify cases as domestic violence extremism to hit performance metrics.
“In my time in Congress I have never seen anything like this. Dozens and dozens of whistle blowers, FBI agents coming to us, talking about what’s going on, the political nature at the Justice Department,” Jordan said.
According to Jordan, one of those FBI agents sat with the committee for a transcribed interview this week and he said he hopes more will do so.
Democrats said the committee shouldn’t be used to score political points or settle score. Committee ranking member Stacey Plaskett said the FBI and DOJ have made mistakes in the past, but that doesn’t mean everything they do is politically motivated.
“In our current political climate, with domestic terrorism on the rise, and hate speech normalized by national politicians, the Department of Justice and the FBI are doing their best to protect us from sliding into chaos,” Virgin Islands Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D, said.
The committee will have more hearings throughout the year, but they have yet to be scheduled.
