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Jordan Issues Subpoena to FBI Official As Conservative ‘Purge’ Probe Continues

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has issued a subpoena to a top-ranking FBI executive seeking testimony in an investigation related to a whistleblower’s testimony that the bureau has become overtly politicized against conservatives.

On Monday, the announcement was made by a spokesperson for Jordan, who leads the Judiciary Committee and is also in charge of the subcommittee responsible for investigating the “weaponization” of the federal government.

“Today, Chairman Jordan issued a subpoena to Jennifer Leigh Moore, Executive Assistant Director of Human Resources at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after she refused to answer questions during her transcribed interview about the FBI’s retaliation against brave whistleblowers who have come forward to raise concerns about abuses they have seen at the Bureau,” Jordan spokesperson Russell Dye said, according to the Daily Wire.

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It is unclear when her interview occurred. However, a letter that was sent to Moore in late January accused her of “obstruction” for failing to comply with earlier requests for an interview, the outlet reported.

“Executive Assistant Director Moore voluntarily answered questions from members and their staffs about the FBI’s security clearance adjudication process for several hours,” the bureau noted in response, the report said.

“She did not discuss the details of specific individuals whose cases are still under review to protect the integrity of the process and the privacy of the individuals,” the FBI noted further. “The FBI recognizes the importance of congressional oversight and remains fully committed to cooperating with Congress’ oversight requests consistent with its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.”

Last year, House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, who lacked subpoena power at the time, requested information from law enforcement and intelligence leaders. In November, they published a report that summarized various allegations of politicization in the Justice Department and FBI that had been raised by “a multitude” of whistleblowers.

The report included claims about a “purge” of FBI employees with conservative views, which were connected to Moore and touched on matters related to former President Donald Trump.

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“This perception is buttressed by previous, documented examples of political bias ingrained in the FBI’s leadership culture — for example, when a senior FBI official wrote derisively to a colleague that he ‘could SMELL the Trump support’ at a Walmart in southern Virginia, or when an FBI attorney altered evidence in support of the FBI’s warrantless surveillance of a Trump campaign associate,” the report noted.

“The FBI has responded to these concerns with a hollow assertion that ‘FBI personnel must maintain objectivity and rigor in their work,’” continued the report. “While the FBI may well be holding line agents to this standard, FBI leadership and supervisors are actively purging those who dare to hold a differing opinion.”

When initially seeking Moore’s testimony, Republicans sent her a letter in September which said: “We have received protected whistleblower disclosures that the FBI is engaging in a ‘purge’ of employees with conservative views by revoking their security clearances and indefinitely suspending these employees. Many of the formal notices for these adverse personnel actions have been signed by you. Recently, we received information suggesting you have retaliated against at least one whistleblower who has made protected disclosures to Congress.”

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The letter continued: “FBI whistleblowers have told the Committee that you have been involved with the security clearance revocations for those employees targeted for their conservative views. In addition, we understand that you have engaged in whistleblower retaliation and prohibited personnel practices. Under Title 5 of the United States Code, once a whistleblower makes a protected disclosure, an agency is prohibited from retaliating against the employee for that disclosure by taking or failing to take a personnel action.”

According to her FBI biography, Moore has worked for the bureau for almost 30 years and was appointed Assistant Director of the Security Division at FBI Headquarters in July 2021. Prior to that role, she served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Intelligence and Incident Response Division at the Washington Field Office.

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