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Three self-described FBI whistleblowers who are key to the Republican narrative that the FBI is weaponized against conservatives will testify in a House hearing on Thursday, the latest escalation of House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s investigation into allegations of discrimination and bias within the FBI.
The hearing comes one day after the FBI said it revoked the security clearances of three agents who either attended the January 6 2021, riot at the US Capitol or espoused alternate theories about the Capitol attack, according to a letter the FBI sent the subcommittee on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by CNN.
At least two of those agents – Marcus Allen and Steve Friend – are among the individuals testifying before the panel on Thursday.
Jordan, an Ohio Republican, has long touted the allegations of what he claims are “dozens” of whistleblowers who serve as the basis for his committee’s assertions that the FBI and Justice Department have become increasingly politicized in recent years. But the first individuals who sat for closed-door interviews with Jordan’s subcommittee earlier this year, including two of the whistleblowers who will appear publicly at a hearing Thursday, became an early flashpoint in the panel’s investigation, with Democrats raising questions about their legitimacy as whistleblowers and the credibility of their testimony.
“We’re looking forward to having these whistleblowers in public for the first time,” Jordan told CNN. “We’re going to let them tell their story, because they have definitely been retaliated against, and in some cases it’s really bad.”
The hearing comes as House Republicans look to ramp up pressure on the FBI executive assistant director of human resources, Jennifer Leigh Moore, after her first voluntary interview, according to a letter provided exclusively to CNN.
Republicans have claimed that Moore was part of a “purge” of FBI employees with conservative views and that issuing her a subpoena is justified because she refused to answer questions in her first interview with the panel. According to an FBI letter obtained by CNN, Moore offered to appear for an interview a day before the hearing – when she could share more information about specific cases – and the committee opted not to proceed with the follow-up interview.
Moore also shared that she has the security clearances of approximately 38,000 employees under her purview and only 32 are currently on suspension, according to an excerpt of her transcript provided exclusively to CNN. Moore said roughly 50 security incidents come in a week, which has been “pretty much” standard in recent years.
The hearing is also an opportunity for Republicans to spotlight an issue their base cares about.
GOP Rep. Mike Johnson, who serves on the panel, says his constituents ask him “all the time” why he can’t do more to address what they see as the politicization of the federal government.
