Government watchdogs on Friday accused Republicans on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee of illegitimate "theatrics" as Democrats released a 300-page report outlining major weaknesses in the GOP's investigation into supposed political bias at the FBI.
Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is leading a probe into anti-Republican bias at the law enforcement bureau and has claimed that his party has heard from "dozens and dozens of whistleblowers" about how the FBI has been "weaponized" against the right—but having heard the testimonies of three witnesses, the Democrats said, they can confidently say the people selected by the GOP "are not, in fact, 'whistleblowers.'"
"These individuals, who put forward a wide range of conspiracy theories, did not present actual evidence of any wrongdoing at the Department of Justice or the FBI," reads the Democrats' report, titled GOP Witnesses: What Their Disclosures Indicate About the State of the Republican Investigations.
The report outlines the testimony given by retired FBI analyst George Hill; suspended former FBI special agent Garret O'Boyle, and former special agent Stephen Friend.
The three witnesses failed to offer convincing evidence of wrongdoing at the agency, and unlike whistleblowers who risk their careers and personal safety to alert the public about malfeasance in the government or a corporation, said the Democrats, their testimonies appear to be the result of "the active engagement and orchestration of disturbing outside influence...
Petrojam is strongly dismissing as false a message circulating via WhatsApp and social media platforms warning of a fuel shortage. "The claim is false and unfounded," the state-owned oil refinery...