The Federal Bureau of Investigation is under fire yet again this week after a federal judge revealed the government agency illegally spied on hundreds-of-thousands of Americans without a warrant between 2020 and 2021.
Watch: “Breaking tonight: New allegations that the FBI overstepped its authority in conducting its investigations against American citizens. And not just a few times: we’re talking in the hundreds of thousands of times” — @BretBaier pic.twitter.com/GOguzuInF8
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) May 19, 2023
The revelation came just one day after three FBI agents testified before the House Judiciary Committee and Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as whistleblowers concerned about the mass surveillance of Americans without proper cause or a warrant. The agents had their security clearances revoked and faced retaliation after bringing the issue to superiors.
Bank of America gave a list to the FBI of anyone who used BofA credit/debit cards in the DC area between Jan 5-7th, 2021 - regardless of whether they participated in the events of Jan. 6th. pic.twitter.com/C0zBA1AGmy
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) May 18, 2023
Marcus Allen bravely served our country overseas in the armed services and has been suspended without pay for OVER a year by the FBI for "disloyalty."
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 18, 2023
Listen to his powerful testimony ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5fR0VTk5zb
Steve Friend was a distinguished FBI agent. The FBI retaliated against him after he exposed how the Bureau was cooking the books on domestic violent extremism cases. pic.twitter.com/X1JpMYDkBq
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 18, 2023
On Monday the FBI claimed FISA reforms had been implemented to prevent political targeting or abuse of the FISA process. The FBI released a statement after Special Counsel John Durham published a lengthy report showing extensive misconduct at the Bureau during the 2016 presidential election, including rampant FISA abuse and tampering of warrant applications issued against Trump campaign officials.
"The promulgation of additional rules and regulations to be learned in yet more training sessions would likely prove to be a fruitless exercise if the FBI's guiding principles of 'Fidelity, Bravery and Integrity" are not engrained in the hearts and minds of those sworn to meet the FBI' s mission of 'Protect[ing] the American People and Uphold[ing] the Constitution of the United States,'" the Durham report warns.
Statement on Report by Special Counsel John Durhamhttps://t.co/lcow0ea3mG pic.twitter.com/T4vXqoOMrp
— FBI (@FBI) May 15, 2023
The reauthorization of FISA is up for debate on Capitol Hill in the coming months, with Democrats and Republicans concerned about abuses of the program.
