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‘Are You Kidding Me?’: Jim Jordan Lambastes FBI For ‘Retaliation’ Against Whistleblowers

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Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio ripped the FBI for allegedly retaliating against whistleblowers during a Friday morning appearance on Fox News.

“Established policies and procedures? Are you kidding me? In the past several weeks, they’ve raided the home of a former president, taken the phone of a sitting member of Congress,” Jordan told Fox News host Harris Faulkner. “We saw what they did to the pastor and his family and seven children, 20 agents, guns drawn, going through his house when local officials said there was no crime whatsoever. So, established policies, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Jordan referenced the Sept. 23 arrest of Mark Houck on charges related to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act by armed FBI agents who allegedly pointed guns at Houck, his wife and kids.

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“So that’s what’s going on at the FBI and now what’s happening is the people who are brave enough to take whistleblower status and come talk to us, they’re coming after them. Remember when it started? A few weeks ago when we first talked about this, Merrick Garland sent out a memorandum to everyone in the Justice Department, here are the rules and guidelines for when you talk to Congress,” Jordan said. “It was a memo to chill their speech and since that we’ve learned of people’s security clearances being revoked and now suspensions for FBI whistleblowers who came to us. If that’s not retaliation, tell me what it is, cause it sure looks that way. I’m sure they got something they will say it’s not. That’s what it appears to the American people to be, that’s certainly what it appears to us and our lawyers.”

Jordan and other Republican representatives wrote FBI Executive Assistant Director Jennifer Leigh Moore Thursday, alleging retaliation against whistleblowers who came forward. One whistleblower alleged that the FBI was pulling agents from child sex abuse investigations to pursue former President Donald Trump.

“The FBI does not target or take adverse action against employees for exercising their First Amendment rights or for their political views; to allege otherwise is false and misleading. The FBI is required to follow established policies and procedures to include a thorough investigation when suspending or revoking a security clearance,” the FBI said in a statement read by Faulkner on-air.