Three brave FBI whistleblowers, former Special Agents Garret O'Boyle and Steve Friend and Staff Operations Specialist Marcus Allen, all chose to speak in Thursday's hearing led by the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, knowing they might suffer additional retaliatory action from the government. The three men were suspended from the FBI and have been subjected to grievous retaliatory measures because they dared to tell the truth. According to the Committee's Executive Summary, one other whistleblower, Supervisory Intelligence Analyst George Hill, has testified behind closed doors. Attorney Tristan Leavitt, President of Empower Oversight, also testified in the hearing. The entire hearing can be viewed here.
The whistleblower testimony comes on the heels of the Durham report, which shows egregious criminal politicalized misconduct in our federal agencies, including the FBI and the DOJ. Ironically, our justice system seems to have flipped on its head, with the good guys paying the price for their conscientious service while, at the same time, powerful individuals like FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland condone corrupt investigations and fail the American people.
Rep. Hageman Hits Hard
Rep. Harriet Hageman's (R, WY) hard-hitting statement captured the nature of the misconduct and the timeline that "fundamentally change[d] the FBI from a law enforcement body to an intelligence-driven one." Hageman commented on testimony from retired FBI Special Agent Thomas Baker, who testified before the committee earlier in the year. Baker told committee members the FBI changed significantly after 9/11.
9/11, said Hageman was a "watershed moment," which former FBI Director Robert Mueller exploited to significantly alter how the FBI and the DOJ would conduct their business. It was Mueller who decided to "fundamentally change the FBI from a law enforcement body to an intelligence-driven one." Mueller's decision, said Hageman, resulted in the "centralization of power in D.C and away from the country it serves."
The government's response to 9/11 was "tragic," continued Hageman. From that point forward, the government became a weaponized machine that would "target not the terrorists but American citizens, which is where the FBI and the DOJ are at this point in time." Hageman continued,
"The FBI and the DOJ used the FISA court to obtain illegitimate surveillance authority. They've targeted political campaigns with which they disagree. They have created a Russia, Russia, Russia hoax to cripple a duly elected president. They have targeted Catholics for exercising their faith. They've targeted parents for wanting to protect their children."
"And then what? We can say, in short, is that the Eye of Sauron has turned inward, and it is burning with a white, hot intensity, an intensity that seeks to destroy everything in its path."
"What I think we can say is that as the DOJ and FBI have become more political, they have amassed more power. And as they have amassed more power, they have become more political. This is a vicious cycle that must be stopped. To be blunt, the leadership of the FBI and the DOJ are corrupt. I will name names. Christopher Ray and Mary Garland are corrupt. They know it, we know it, and the American people know it."
Hageman's statement before the hearing, seen in the video below, reflects her sentiments on how the FBI and the DOJ are weaponizing the government against the FBI whistleblowers and the American people.
Excerpts From Thursday's Hearing
The three men appeared in person on Thursday; Garret O'Boyle, Steve Friend, and Marcus Allen. Despite their exemplary service to the nation, all have been suspended and have been prevented by the FBI from pursuing outside work. Unlike many others, all three were still willing to come forward in hopes their testimony would expose the DOJ's and FBI's weaponization of the law against them and everyday Americans.
Former Special Agent Steve Friend: Dream Job Becomes a Nightmare
Steve Friend was a Special Agent for the FBI for 8 1/2 years. He told the Committee he once thought of a job at the FBI as his "dream job." As a Special Agent, he investigated "approximately 200 violent crimes such as aggravated assaults, murder, child abuse, rape, robbery, child molestation, child pornography, and human trafficking."
Friend also served on the FBI SWAT team and was a law enforcement officer in Georgia. In August 2022, he shared what he thought would be protected whistleblower disclosures with his supervisors about the Jan. 6 investigations. Friend disclosed "departures from case management rules established in the FBI's Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide." He worried that the FBI was unjustly bringing J6 prosecutions to "inflate the FBI statistics on domestic extremism." Friend also shared concerns that the FBI abused the "use of SWAT and large-scale arrest operations to apprehend suspects who were accused of nonviolent crimes and misdemeanors."
Instead of protection, however, Friend said the FBI retaliated:
"FBI weaponized the security clearance processes to facilitate my removal from active duty within one month of my disclosures. In addition to an indefinite, unpaid suspension, the FBI initiated a campaign of humiliation and intimidation to punish and pressure me to resign. In violation of HIPAA individuals that the FBI leaked my private medical information to a reporter at the New York Times. In violation of the Privacy Act, the FBI refused to furnish my training records for several months."
The FBI Inspection Division also issued "an illegal gag order in an attempt to prevent me from communicating with my family and attorneys," Friend added.
Friend's greatest concern is how the "FBI weaponizes process crimes and reinterprets laws to initiate pretextual prosecutions and persecute its political enemies," turning the institution "into an intelligence agency with a law enforcement capability.".
Friend shared some of the malfeasances he witnessed:
"FBI collusion with Big Tech to gather intelligence on Americans, censor political speech, and target citizens for malicious prosecution. A dysfunctional promotion process fosters a revolving door of inexperienced, ambitious FBI supervisors ascending the management ladder within the agency. FBI informant protocols that are broken and abusive. The FBI skirts the Whistleblower Protection Act and exploits the security clearance revocation process to expel employees who make legally protected disclosures."
Friend's complete opening statement is captured below:
Former Staff Operations Specialist Marcus Allen: Decorated Marine
Marcus Allen is a highly decorated Marine, and after joining the FBI, he was named Employee of the Year in 2019 in the Charlotte office. Allen served honorably in the Marine Corps from 2000 to 2005. He was deployed to Kuwait, served two tours in Iraq, and "contributed to Operation Iraqi Freedom." He was "exposed to live enemy fire on numerous occasions" and served "primarily in analytical and intelligence roles, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal."
It seems Allen's greatest offense was telling the truth about the events on Jan. 6. As a result, he has been labeled a traitor by the FBI. The FBI suspended him without pay for "questioning the narrative of J6" because Allen believed that not all who were present that day exhibited "criminal conduct." An excerpt of his statement follows:
"The FBI suspended my security clearance, accusing me of actually being disloyal to my country. This outrageous and insulting accusation is based on unsubstantiated accusations that I hold conspiratorial views regarding the events of Jan. 6, 2020. That I allegedly sympathized with criminal conduct. I do not."
"I condemn all criminal activity that occurred," continued Allen, "Instead, it appears that I was retaliated against because I forwarded information to my superiors and others that questioned the official narrative of the events of Jan. 6. As a result, I was accused of promoting conspiratorial views and unreliable information. Because I did this, the FBI questioned my allegiance to the United States."
Allen said this has been a devastating experience for him and his family. He is being "financially crushed" and is relying upon "withdrawals from [their] retirement accounts" to support his family with "no end in sight."
Allen's hope is that his testimony will save others from the "FBI from abusing the security clearance process to retaliate against others the way it's retaliated against me."
Allen's complete opening statement is below:
Garret O'Boyle: Entire Adult Life Devoted to Serving Our Nation
O'Boyle expressed visible and deep sadness in having to testify against the FBI and DOJ, organizations he says "are supposed to protect the American people." He feels angry that he has been "smeared by the FBI," a smear that "stands in stark contrast to his life in public service."
O'Boyle has served his "community and the nation his entire adult life," joining the Army at a young age and serving in the infantry. He was "quickly promoted through the ranks" and was "deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom." O'Boyle served in the 101st Airborne Division and received the Combat Infantryman's Badge, an honor reserved for foot soldiers in ground combat. O'Boyle was also a police officer before he joined the FBI.
In his four years as a Special Agent, he received the "highest annual review an employee can receive." He was selected for the FBI SWAT team and chosen for a new unit created by the FBI.
O'Boyle believes too many in the FBI and the DOJ do not uphold the Constitution, including those who are bystanders, not willing to stand up or make sacrifices when they see something wrong. He blames their reluctance, in part, on the FBI's efforts to smear and denigrate whistleblowers, destroying careers, "suspending them under false pretenses, taking security clearances, with no true options for real recourse or remedy." O'Boyle believes it is "by design." He thinks it is one reason so few are willing to step forward.
"This is by design," O'Boyle continued, "It creates an Orwellian atmosphere that silences opposition and discussion. We know what is right to do. There were many who too often refused to do what is right because of the difficulty and suffering it incurs. I couldn't knowingly continue on this path silently without speaking out against the weaponization I witnessed, even if it meant losing my job, my career, my livelihood, my family's home, and now my anonymity."
In his words, the retaliatory actions against O'Boyle have "sacrificed the hopes, dreams, and livelihood of my family, my strong, beautiful and courageous wife, and our four sweet and beautiful daughters." He reported to a new unit when his youngest daughter was only two weeks old, only to be suspended on the first day of his assignment.
O'Boyle said, "all he wanted to do was serve his country by stopping bad guys and protecting the innocent."
O'Boyle's complete statement is below:
The Select Committee's Interim Executive Summary
The Executive Summary released early Thursday, ahead of the in-person hearing, reinforces much of what we already know, mainly because of revelations shared by former FBI agent and whistleblower Kyle Seraphin and reporting from UncoverDC. The summary reminds us that "disclosures from these FBI employees highlight egregious abuse, misallocation of law-enforcement resources, and misconduct with the leadership ranks of the FBI." Some of the retaliatory actions are pictured below as documented in the Executive Summary:
The key whistleblower claims in the Executive Summary are pictured in the screencap below. The allegations include the alleged targeting of innocent Americans and breaches of confidential financial data.
Executive Summary/https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2023-05-17-fbi-whistleblower-testimony-highlights-government-abuse-misallocation-of-resources-and-retaliation-sm.pdf
Americans Must Not Let This Stand
The FBI whistleblowers have come forward at great personal risk. They and their families have suffered mightily, in some cases leaving them without their belongings. All have honorably served this country, yet they are suspended without pay and have been barred from pursuing outside employment. They call themselves "The Suspendables," a term coined by Seraphin. Seraphin, Friend, and others continue to receive information detailing corruption and misconduct from FBI agents who are still on the inside.
Whistleblowers are supposed to be protected by laws that allow them to report government corruption and abuse without fear of reprisal. According to the Executive Summary, "The FBI has violated whistleblower protection laws and abused its security clearance review process to hamstring the brave agents who exercise their right to make protected disclosures to Congress or who dared to question agency leadership."
The men who testified Thursday are some of the best our country has to offer. They appeared in public and before the Committee not only to correct the record but to alert and activate the American people. Each one hopes his testimony will help correct the egregious wrongs taking place in the highest positions of power.
However, as O'Boyle stated, all Americans should do whatever it takes to fight the tyrannical forces brought to bear by the U.S. government.
"It's up to members of this Committee, current and former FBI employees, and indeed all Americans, to ensure that the weaponization of our own government against the people comes to an end, no matter the personal cost. As James Madison prudently opined and framing the government, which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this. You must first enable the government to control the government; in the next place, oblige it to control itself."
O'Boyle later added he would do whatever it takes, "The FBI can extract whatever they want from me. I'm willing to bear that burden. I swore to defend this country from enemies, both foreign and domestic, even if that means sacrificing my life."
