In a blistering letter accusing FBI leadership of retaliating against a protected whistleblower, the ranking members of two powerful Senate committees have warned Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray to step in immediately to shield suspended Special Agent Steve Friend from unlawful reprisals after he filed a complaint with the inspector general last week alleging FBI wrongdoing in domestic terrorism cases.
In the letter sent Monday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) — ranking members of the Judiciary Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee for Investigations, respectively — questioned why the FBI suspended Friend without pay last week and demanded that “all other forms of reprisal against him for his protected whistleblowing activity are immediately stopped.”
“The FBI should immediately cease the disciplinary actions it is actively taking to punish Special Agent Friend for his protected whistleblowing activity,” the senators wrote. wrote. “These unwarranted actions only serve to chill other employees from reporting wrongdoing, and demonstrate a complete and utter failure by agency leaders to obey the letter and intent of federal whistleblower protection laws.”
“The alleged actions by FBI senior leadership are unacceptable and send exactly the wrong message.
“The FBI should never suspend security clearances as a form of punishment or to retaliate against patriotic whistleblowers for stepping forward to report potential...
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