Defunding the FBI makes about as much sense as defunding the police. Granted, the FBI is systematically flawed with an executive cadre tainted by the actions of an unknown number of politically motivated activists — that is simply undeniable. As a result, a number of current FBI employees have come forward and made use of statutory “whistleblower” protections. And, many from the retired agent community, including myself, have been critical of FBI actions of late.
Reportedly, as many as twenty-four FBI whistleblowers have contacted Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative Jim Jordan to report on a culture of politicization. A few whistleblowers have gained notoriety and are building social media platforms aided by popular conservative media personalities. Their voices are becoming increasingly strident and bitter.
A whistleblower seeking to assuage a bruised ego isn’t likely to effect real change. The American people deserve to be represented by whistleblowers who act out of a sense of duty, unalloyed by personal animus or by an impulse for self-aggrandizement.
The FBI has been the subject of internal and external investigations initiated by whistleblower actions since 1971 with the rise of “Deep Throat,” during the Nixon administration. In 2005, Deep Throat was revealed to be former Associate Director of the FBI W. Mark Felt. The Watergate scandal is still shrouded in mystery, but it can be safely said that Felt was involved in the deep state’s first real attempt to remove a sitting president — successfully. If you’re interested in a deep dive into the Watergate scandal and the involvement of the deep state, see Monica Crowley’s book Nixon Off the Record and her recent interview with Tucker Carlson on Tucker Carlson Today.
Perhaps, the two most impactful modern whistleblowers are Dr. Frederic Whitehurst and Former Special Agent Coleen Rowley.
Dr. Frederic Whitehurst became the first modern day FBI whistleblower in 1997. Whitehurst, a chemist assigned to the FBI Laboratory, reported a lack of scientific standards that affected the Trade Center and Oklahoma City bombing cases. His disclosures resulted in the overhaul of FBI Laboratory practices and procedures. In addition, Dr. Whitehurst filed and won a whistleblower retaliation case reaching a settlement with the FBI worth approximately $1.6 million dollars. He now directs the National Whistleblower Center.
In 2001, Former Special Agent Coleen Rowley raised concerns over the failure of the FBI to properly evaluate information that could have impacted the outcome of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Her testimony before congress led to a multi-year investigation of DOJ and FBI policies and procedures. As a result of Rowley’s whistleblowing, the FBI formed the Office of Intelligence and greatly expanded its counterterrorism capabilities. Rowley retired as an FBI Special Agent in 2004.
Both Whitehurst and Rowley were accomplished employees who sought to address glaring deficiencies within the FBI structure. In particular, Rowley functioned as a whistleblower while continuing to perform at a high level as an FBI agent. And, neither Rowley nor Whitehurst seem to have engaged in public attacks on the agent community broadly.
Recently, a few FBI whistleblowers have leveled accusations against the general agent population, lamenting a perceived lack of support, and maligning the motives and character of FBI agents that have not expressed direct support for whistleblowers. This sort of scurrilous accusation does nothing but raise concerns about whistleblower motives.
During my twenty year FBI career, I never worked with a single individual who I would describe as “politicized.” My interaction with FBI executive management was nearly nonexistent for most of my career, and even as a field supervisor my interaction with the Senior Executive Service level managers was quite limited. That is to say, I spent twenty years working daily with the “rank and file” who have recently been publicly smeared by a few FBI whistleblowers — this is utterly odious.
The FBI is populated by a large cadre of honorable people — good men and women — many of whom risk their lives to thwart predators, organized criminals, agents of foreign powers, as well as terrorists bent on decimating the innocent. They do this work without adulation from the press or from conservative media personalities. They stand on the battlements far out of sight of studio lights and professional podcasters. Attacking these good men and women is loathsome, and is unequivocally a colossal mistake.
Whether the good men and women of the FBI decide to step forward and publicly support whistleblowers has no bearing on their commitment to the Constitution. And, falling prey to a “Captain America” syndrome —thinking that masses will form behind you — can only be described as arrogant and a bit narcissistic. Perhaps, whistleblowers of this kind should rethink with whom they associate and recall the Biblical principle: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)
FBI agents who decide to work within the system and become the principled leadership the FBI so desperately needs are no less important than those who are called by conscience to avail themselves of the whistleblower status and its protections.
The FBI is clearly in need of reform, just like the NYPD of the late 1960’s and 1970’s. It took a man like Frank Serpico to step forward and become the catalyst for change. Serpico became the subject an eponymously named movie starring Al Pacino. He was a courageous and principled whistleblower who identified the structural problems in NYPD management. Serpico retired on June 15, 1972, one month after receiving the NYPD Medal of Honor. Current FBI whistleblowers would do well to follow in his footsteps.
As someone who always thought positively of the FBI and its mission, I was willing to overlook a long series of operational failures and abuses of power, figuring they were exceptions to the rule. Dadeland Mall shootout, Robert Hanson, Robert Mueller/John Connally/Whitey Bulger, Ruby Ridge, Waco, 9/11, SA Wilfred Rattigan, SA Gamal Abdel Hafiz and no doubt many others. More recently, the Bureau has become the enforcer for the political Left and Americans are angry over its politicization and continued abuses of power. Tried to take down President Trump based on a series of lies (which they knew were lies) and executed pre-dawn SWAT raids against Roger Stone and James O’Keefe even though neither had a history of violence. Personally, I would like to see the FBI disestablished and essential functions transferred to other federal agencies, because whatever good the FBI is doing is outweighed by the obvious harm it is doing, which includes undermining public confidence in the federal government. If the Bureau wants to regain public trust, it needs to clean house in a big way and do its job impartially, which it is not doing now. And Fay is not the guy to do it.
Disagree almost completely.
The FBI has become a political hit squad at the service of Leftists and a politicized bureaucracy that aims to advance the Leftist cause. All other considerations are completely immaterial.
Whatever successes it has had in solving real crime (hint: not “white supremacy”) have been totally overshadowed by its incompetence, ineptness and a will to power that seeks only the expansion of the bureau itself. Ruby Ridge, Waco, 9/11, the coddling of Whitey Bulger, Robert Hanssen, the persecution of President Trump, the fake Whitmer kinapping entrapment scam, and on and on and on prove beyond all shadow of a doubt that the FBI is useless at best, an enemy of the American people at worst.
Worst of all are all these so-called “good guys” who should’ve walked out en masse long ago, but stayed to preserve their careers and pensions. I understand the go-along-to-get-along mentality. But being part of a system that has killed innocent people by acts of commission and omission and staying silent is inexcusable.
The FBI’s crime lab and databases can and should be preserved, with those functions dispersed among state investigatory agencies.
After that, demolish the Hoover building, scatter the rubble and salt the earth where it stood.
And you can take the CIA with it.
Douglas Murray, in his latest book War On The West, states that the FBI “has been holding ‘intersectionality workshops’ for its employees.” With that kind of indoctination/training, it could be much easier for an agent to follow an order that he/she/it knows is blatantly unconstitutional, for the “noble” ends will justify all means.
The good insiders should remove the evil insiders by whatever method necessary. NOW!
The FBI is working hard to pile up a laundry list of humiliating failures. Defunded? The FBI needs to be completely gutted. They ignored and discarded sexually assault allegations by Olympic gymnasts against former team Dr. Larry Nasar. Then made false statements to cover their mistakes. The FBI had several tips concerning the Parkland High School shooter, Nikolas Cruz. Yet, did nothing and stated protocols were not followed. In addition, :jeffery Epstein,, Pulse Nightclub shooting, Boston Bomber, Fort Hood shooter (who had anti-American and radical Muslim ideas all over his social media, etc, are all FBI failures of incompetence.
The FBI is another water carrier for the Democrat Party, just like the media is.
The FBI has become a completely rotten organization. It is incompetent and should be dissolved. The FBI/FSB served as an agent provocateur’ to cause the Jan 6th panty raid, mislabeled as an insurrection.. If there are many “good men” in the GBI, I don’t see it.
I also remember how the FBI tried to entrap Jewish Americans into being criminal agents for Israel. First, they left a top secret memo on a table with prominent Jews; then the FBI agent left, trying to tempt/entrap the Jews into looking at the top secret file. The Jews at the table with the FBI didn’t take the bait. They knew better than to look at an (alleged) top secret file. As that action to entrap Jews failed, the FBI then concocted a story that they had top secret information that there was going to be a massive terrorist attack on Israel, but the FBI would not pass this information onto Israel and it was (allegedly) top secret so however had this information could not pass it along. This FBI entrapment worked and they managed to get the poor Jew prosecuted, albeit not convicted.
The FBI also wanted to see Pamela Geller and company murdered in 2015. A policeman was wounded in the melee as he did not get the information about the Islamic hitman that the FBI knew and encouraged with their “tear up Texas” communique. This now evil organization should be shut down.
The problem is not FBI. The problem is the so called politicians who have different understanding of justice.
Some think that that hard working, righteous and truth telling people don’t deserve what they have earned. And the criminal thugs should be allowed to do as they please.
According to retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInnerney, in early February 2009, Pres. Barack Obama and James Comey (possibly others) stole top-secret CIA super software and converted it to their use or the use of the Democratic Party. This software was called Hammr / Scorecard. Obama appointed Comey as FBI Director in 2013.
So if it is just a few bad apples, who are all the people who carry out raids on people who, at most, are chargeable with misdemeanors? Who are all the people who carry out the dawn or pre-dawn raids on Roger Stone, James O’Keefe, Rudy Giuliani, and a score of others. Sorry, but the FBI the author served in is gone, baby, gone.
Your wrong Mr Nantz:
Millions of “good German’s,” joined Hitler’s youth squad. Thousands became Stassi. Millions choose to fink and turn in their neighbors and friends. Your naivety is astounding.
Good people in history have always turned a blind-eye to the evil and corruption going on around them. That is how atrocities happen.
If you belong to the FBI and don;t support what is going on there, you would have the moral integrity, to voice your concerns and leave such a corrupt organization. Out of thousands of agents, we have had maybe 15 whistleblowers. Not exactly an overwhelming show of integrity and moral servitude.
I know individuals, that have stood up to employer’s as young adults that have more integrity then these government employee’s. Shame on all of them! Shame on you, for giving them cover.
I used to think that the FBI was one of, if not the greatest law enforcement agency in the world, but now they are acting more like Hitler`s Brown Shirts. There are no doubt many good men and women working in the Agency but ,much of the upper level are politically motivated and corrupt, especially that worthless political hack in the Director`s Office. Ray should be removed and prosecuted for his crimes against the American people. BTW, the U.S. A.G. should likewise be removed and prosecuted for his crimes. I am hoping that when the Republicans take over the House that they investigate the Biden Crime Family. Unfortunately, the Republicrats tent to talk a good game but rarely ever follow through.
Yes Yes. I am quite sure that the FBI is loaded with ” good people” and honest non political agents. But these agents follow orders and when and if the Leftist Jacobins obtain the power they are now so close to obtaining, these same nice , honest, clean cut agents will be the ones showing up at your door at 5 AM, decked out in their rebo cop outfits , to arrest you as an enemy of the people .
Any FBI agent who takes part in a raid they know is politically motivated while hiding behind “ I was just doing what I was told” is every bit as guilty as those who ordered the raid. Their willingness to do wrong for a continued Govt paycheck highlights the lack of character of so many in Govt employment today.
The good men and women of the Wehrmacht were just following orders and should not be maligned because of their malevolent leaders and the acts they carried out at the direction of those leaders, right?
The FBI exists in violation of the Constitution, which provides no authority for a federal police force that acts beyond the limited domain of federal reservations and to safeguard the borders, the mail, and our currency. Teddy Roosevelt had a bad idea, and Franklin Roosevelt made Teddy’s idea into Frankenstein’s monster. The FBI must be dissolved, and any worthwhile components of it turned over to the Marshals Service.
Yes, this. We need a “Federal police state” for what reason? State law enforcement agencies can do exactly what the FBI does and probably more efficiently and what’s more important…LEGALLY.
“They do this work without adulation from the press or from conservative media personalities….Attacking these good men and women is loathsome, and is unequivocally a colossal mistake.”
Oh???
Two names for you to reflect on – Vicky Weaver and Richard Jewell. Not to mention Stephen Hatfill, whose life, career, and marriage were ruined by Muller for allegedly mailing the post-911 anthrax letters. Too many times your cherished employer has disregarded the sovereign rights and constitutional guarantees of citizens for me to do anything but fear it.
Something I wrote in another column, but Michael Franzese, former captain of the Colombo Crime Family, spoke about the FBI on his podcast. Michael said “the FBI has always been corrupt. They put my father away on a crime he didn’t commit. They fabricated the charges against him. My father was no angel. He was who he was, but he didn’t commit the crime the FBI put him away for. The FBI is more corrupt than I’ve ever seen it before, and I’ve dealt with them for decades. They are taking sides. The people who say who cares ,I don’t like Trump, are gonna be sorry when it happens to them.”
Note: Michael also stated “I have no problem with someone defrauding the government. I’m not saying I would do it because I don’t want to go back to prison, but I have no problem morally with it.”
I agree. Tell me the difference between the Mafia and the FBI/politicians? There is no difference. Except the Mafia guys I’d love to sit down and have a good laugh with.
The FBI, the entire Democratic Party and the MSM are all the same. They are a group of people fully indoctrinated to a single belief and incapable of thinking for themselves. They follow blindly in complete lockstep behind their leader. When looking at any of these I think of the former Soviet Union or WW2 Germany. I do not trust any of them to be honest or truthful on anything dealing with any conservative. They all have one vision, the destruction of a once great country.
I can go alone into a room, close the door, say the oath I lived by for so many years, and in my heart have peace and be content with all that has passed by my eyes and hands in the years I served in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. No longer will I respect, support or condone the political agenda and dishonorable behaviors of the Bureau…
To those who remain there, follow your oath, and shun the commands that will one day compel you to say, as some did in 1945, “I was just following orders”
Just stipulate that funding is for LAW ENFORCEMENT Activities ONLY – no crt – no blm – no dei – no esg – no gluten (nah – that’s optional)!! Funds previously provided to support EE’s in those areas are GONE so those EE’s and Program are too!!
The R’s control the PURSE (not the ones carried by all the DEMOcrat MEN) and should use that to affect policy changes or NO FUNDING! But I guess McYurtle has set the DEMOcrats up with all the money they need till 2024??
There used to be FBI tv series with Efram Zimublus Jr back in the 1960’s i think it was produced Quin Martin Productions
None of the previous comments I read cited the Boston Marathon bombing, where we were tipped in advance by the Russian government about the perpetrators.
I watched Michael McNulty’s 3 documentaries about federal law enforcement behavior at Waco in 1993. Part of one video showed rank and file FBI agents waiting near the Davidian compound during the 51-day siege.
These good rank and file agents placed the carcasses of 5 Davidian dogs upwind of the compound so that the Davidians had to smell the stench of death continually.
These good rank and file agents also played very loud recordings of rabbits being slaughtered, in order to torment the Davidians further.
And on the last day of the siege, these good rank and file agents gassed and cremated men, women and children, not unlike Nazis.
Burn the FBI down and salt the ground.
I’m sorry, but when you have to cite examples of more than 20 years ago, the analysis is invalid.