(NewsNation) — An FBI special agent was suspended and stripped of his badge and gun after issuing a complaint about the investigation into suspects believed to be part of the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Steven Friend, 37, is a 12-year veteran of the FBI and a father of two. He was declared AWOL by the FBI after refusing to participate in Jan. 6 investigations the bureau was conducting on citizens, claiming they were in violation of their civil liberties and they had a duty to uphold the Constitution.
“The investigations were inconsistent with FBI procedure and resulted in the violation of citizens’ Sixth and Eight Amendment rights,” Friend wrote in a whistleblower complaint filed last month with the Department of Justice Inspector General.
In August, as an FBI SWAT Team was assigned to make an arrest in Florida, Friend reportedly raised concerns, saying it was “inappropriate to use an FBI SWAT team to arrest a subject for misdemeanor offenses,” and later told his supervisors he would not participate in the operation, according to the complaint.
“This investigative misconduct is impacting people’s civil liberties,” said Dan Meyer, Friend’s attorney. “They’re being subject to search warrants that are unlawful. They’re being subject to a violation of their constitutional rights, the Bill of Rights. “
When asked about those involved in the Capitol riots, Friend told his supervisor, “some of the people who entered the Capitol committed crimes, but others were...
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