Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding he explains the federal agency's reasoning for "targeting" Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret.), while he served as President Trump's first National Security Advisor, and to make the agents involved in the investigation available for interviews with the committee.
Flynn pled guilty in 2017 to making false statements to the FBI as part of Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 elections.
In Jordan's letter, which was obtained by Townhall, he writes how Trump's 2016 campaign has "exposed political bias and serious misconduct" within the agency:
"The Obama-Biden-era FBI used Democrat-funded opposition research and Russian disinformation—as well as doctored evidence—as a basis to illegally spy on a Trump campaign associate. Former FBI Director James Comey caused sensitive information about his interactions with President Trump to leak to the media. Senior FBI employees discussed an "insurance policy" against President Trump. Now, new revelations about the FBI’s interactions with former National Security Advisor LTG Michael T. Flynn, make it clear that the FBI’s wrongdoing is worse than previously known. These revelations suggest a pattern of misconduct and politicization at the highest levels of the Obama-Biden-era FBI."
The new revelations Jordan was referring to are the unsealed documents that had been previously withheld from Flynn and his legal team that were recently released, which according to Jordan, showed how the "FBI had apparently sought to set a perjury trap for LTG Flynn during an interview on January 24, 2017. One newly produced document, a handwritten note dated January 24, 2017, reportedly written by FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Bill Preistap, explained that the FBI’s objective was 'to get him [Flynn] to lie, so we can prosecute or get him [Flynn] fired.'"
Jordan wrote how the new documents "suggest that the FBI ignored protocol to confront LTG Flynn about a potential violation of an obscure and rarely charged offense, with the real goal of forcing LTG Flynn’s resignation or prosecution. The FBI pursued LTG Flynn despite knowing that he was not a Russian agent and even after the FBI became aware that a central piece of evidence of alleged Russia collusion—the so-called Steele dossier—was based on Russian disinformation."
Jordan told Wray they must "review the actions of the FBI in targeting LTG Flynn" and to have former FBI Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap and FBI Agent Joe Pientka to be made available for transcribed interviews about their actions relating to their part in the Flynn investigation.
He also asked for the FBI to produce and explain the following by May 18:
- All documents and communications referring or relating to Crossfire Razor, the FBI code name for its investigation into LTG Flynn.
- All documents and communications between or among the FBI and other executive branch agencies, including but not limited to the Executive Office of the President, for the period December 1, 2016 to January 20, 2017, referring or relating to LTG Michael Flynn’s December 30, 2016, conversation with Sergey Kislyak.
- When Wray personally first learned of the FBI’s misconduct with respect to LTG Flynn.
- Why the Committee and the American public are learning of the FBI’s misconduct with respect to LTG Flynn from court filings rather than from you.
- Whether Wray or any other member of the FBI’s senior leadership prevented or delayed the disclosure of additional exculpatory information to LTG Flynn and his legal team.
- Certify that the FBI has produced all responsive documents as part of the review ordered by Attorney General Barr into LTG Flynn’s case.
In a December 2017 tweet, Trump said he had to fired Flynn for lying to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI, but has said he believes Flynn unintentionally lied.
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
Following the release of the documents, Trump has defended Flynn and heavily criticized the FBI's treatment of him.
“The only thing we got wrong is that it was even worse (the corruption) than we thought.” @Jim_Jordan DIRTY COPS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 1, 2020