FBI Director Questioned

FBI Director Christopher Wray faced hours of scrutiny today from House Judiciary Committee Republicans who aimed to portray the agency as politically biased. Democrats occasionally supported Wray by highlighting wrongdoing by Trump and his associates. However, the hearing showcased the conflicting fault lines, with some Democrats criticizing the FBI's handling of the Trump investigation and its surveillance tools.

“The American people have lost faith in the FBI. All of our constituents are demanding that we get this situation under control, and we have to do that. That’s our responsibility. This is not a political party issue, sir. This is about whether the very system of justice in our country can be trusted anymore. Without that no republic can survive,” Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) said.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) criticized the FBI for not being more aggressive, arguing “the FBI delayed and showed unprecedented caution before investigating the ex-president even when there was a potential threat to national security.”

Targeting Parents

When confronted about the FBI's targeting of parents, Wray refuted GOP allegations that the FBI aimed to classify parents as domestic terrorists, asserting that the agency did not engage in any improper actions towards them following the memo.

Wray was asked to respond to calls to defund his agency; Rep. Jordan wants to withhold non-essential funding from the FBI. Wray said it would harm law enforcement personnel, state/local partners, and the American people. It would benefit gangs, cartels, terrorists, and hackers.

J6

While facing inquiries about the events of January 6th, the FBI director took steps to disprove assertions that the FBI had a hand in inciting the Capitol attack. He emphasized that the agency had no prior knowledge of plans to breach the Capitol, although they were aware of the potential for violence.

“This notion that somehow the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and agents is ludicrous and is a disservice to our brave, hardworking, dedicated men and women,” Wray said.

Social Media Censorship

Republicans, and occasionally Democrats, focused on civil rights matters, particularly regarding a court order limiting the Biden administration's interaction with social media platforms over concerns about free speech.

Additionally, they raised concerns about FBI surveillance tools. Following a challenge by Republicans, a federal judge ruled that various agencies and officials, including the FBI, are prohibited from contacting social media companies to remove or suppress content containing protected free speech. The Department of Justice has appealed the ruling.

Representative Johnson of Louisiana highlighted the court's assertion that the FBI has been involved in what could be considered the most significant assault on free speech in U.S. history.

Wray dismissed lawmakers' claims that the FBI requests content removal from social media platforms. He clarified that the agency only alerts platforms when other intelligence agencies provide information about foreign intelligence services operating on the platform. (This is a complete lie as Twitter Files have shown us)

He deflected blame and claimed the decision to act was with the social media companies.

FISA & Section 702

Lawmakers from both parties questioned the authorities granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

The FBI, along with other security agencies, seeks the renewal of Section 702, which permits warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals abroad and expires in December.

Rep. Cline (R-Va.) expressed concerns that the FBI's tool grants excessive access to Americans' data, stating that it appears to enable widespread surveillance.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jayapal (D-Wash.) highlighted bipartisan apprehensions regarding the re-authorization process, emphasizing the need for transparency in the FBI's privacy protection measures.

Wray acknowledged the issues the FBI has had with Section 702 but insisted that 'guardrails' have been put in place in his bid to defend the unconstitutional spying.