Several FBI whistleblowers testified before the House Judiciary Committee, accusing high-level senior officials at the bureau of revoking security clearances based on religious or politically conservative beliefs.
According to information received by lawmakers, one whistleblower reported that FBI executives targeted current employees associated with former FBI employees interviewed for the movie “Police State”. The documentary, co-created by conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza and produced by talk radio host Dan Bongino, alleges political censorship and imprisonment by Democratic Party leaders working with top officials in the FBI, CIA, and Department of Justice.
The whistleblowers stated that executives in the FBI’s Security Division, also known as SecD, assigned agents from field offices to conduct security clearance investigations for employees suspected of communicating with or providing information to people involved with the movie.
The whistleblowers also alleged that the executives sought to recruit between 100 and 300 temporary employees to conduct security clearance investigations “against whistleblowers, conservatives, and employees with an unacceptable political affiliation or belief.”
The FBI refuted these allegations, stating that it does not target or take adverse action against employees for their political views or exercising their First Amendment rights.
According to the whistleblowers, the alleged politically motivated security clearance investigations targeted employees associated with former FBI employees and attempted to recruit special agents to conduct internal probes temporarily.
The whistleblowers also accused FBI brass of violating national security guidelines and intentionally misinterpreting guidelines to deny, suspend, and revoke security clearances based on employees’ political affiliations and beliefs.
The disclosures further detailed instances of alleged retaliation by FBI officials against employees who reported misconduct, including the suspension of security clearances.
