The congressional watchdog committee that oversees the Department of Justice has a new Republican leader, Jim Jordan of Ohio. His upgraded position on the House Judiciary Committee is expected to result in a major shake up at the Federal Bureau of Instigation.

New watchdog bares his teeth at Christopher Wray

With three crucial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court provisions set to expire in mid-March, newly-promoted watchdog Jim Jordan laid out a couple of changes he needs to see in the flawed wiretap process. “Inserting a third-party in the historically secret hearings,” is one. Another is “making transcripts of the proceedings available to lawmakers on the intelligence committees.”

FBI director Christopher Wray told him not to hold his breath. As CNN puts it, “Wray expressed skepticism to both proposals.” Since 99.9 percent of the wiretaps they do aren’t completely politically motivated, there’s nothing to worry about, Wray insists. “The vast majority of the FISAs we do, both the initial applications and the renewals,” Wray hedges, are nothing to “lose any sleep over.” Transparency would make them “grind to a halt.”

That isn’t what Jordan wanted to hear. Wray’s ineffective suggestions and lackadaisical attitude struck conservatives on the committee as much too timid. Jordan wants to see a “thorough and complete public house cleaning,” along with a “clear, unambiguous expression of moral outrage.” Wray just wants to get back to business as usual at the Federal Bureau of Instigation, using leaks to put out the public relations fires and doing what they please to run the government from the shadows.

If the FBI can’t convince Jordan and other powerful Republicans that the system really can be fixed, the conservatives are thinking about disbanding the FISA court completely. It’s a real possibility, backed by Senator Lindsey Graham and others.

Watchdog

The watchers want to keep watching themselves.

FBI acted in ‘bad faith’

The Inspector General for the Justice Department, Michael Horowitz recently reported that there were serious “mistakes” in all four of the applications the FBI used to wiretap Trump campaign aide Carter Page. They seem strangely intentional but that hasn’t been proven yet. At the very least, the FBI knew they were stretching the truth. According to Attorney General William Barr, “they could have been made in bad faith.”

Rep. Tom McClintock didn’t mince words. “I don’t trust your agency anymore. And that’s a profound thing for me to say, because I was raised to revere the FBI,” he thundered at Wray during the four hours of intense grilling.

The controversial FBI director was interrogated relentlessly about the Hillary Clinton Fan Club atmosphere and political influence of investigations, along with the hot button issues of domestic terrorism and foreign interference in elections.

No more election spying, without approval

As far as interference in domestic elections, Wray promises that the FBI has kept their thumb off the scales for the 2020 election, so far. If they do need to wiretap anybody, Wray and Barr will both have to sign off on it first.

Democrat Jerry Nadler wanted to know if the President ordered any revenge investigations yet, into folks like Joe Biden or John Bolton. Wray neatly sidestepped by saying he hasn’t “improperly” opened any investigations. “I have assured the Congress and I can assure the Congress today that the FBI will open investigations based on the facts and the law and proper predication. No one has asked me to open up an investigation based on anything but the facts, the law and proper predication.”

18 Responses

  1. kodster

    ROFL! Nadler screwed up by asking about ‘revenge’ investigations. Nope, Mr. Nadler, no ‘revenge’ investigations have been opened up. HOWEVER, since they DID break the law, and there are facts to back that up, we ARE investigating them for those crimes. LOL!

    Reply
    • Luther Davidson

      President Trump needs to do what Obama did. He should fire all the holders and put new people in place. I know that Congress will not complain because they did not complain when Obama and Clinton did it. The FBI has had Directors that have not been what one could call honest. It all started during my time growing up in the 60’s. The FBI Director, J Edgar Hoover, had no love for Bobby or Jack Kennedy.

      Every four years we hold an election to elect the leader of this great nation. The elections have gotten dirtier and dirtied each time. Enter various groups that are looking for their slice of the pie and the other persons slice of the pie if they disagree with their position. Then comes the PACs that put a lot of money into the process. Then come all the false claims of what will happens if you elect this guy or that guy. When Obama was elected on his Change we can believe in. What he did not want to tell people about his change, was he was going to destroy the last 40 years of the work of Martin Luther King to mend race relations, bring about a hate for the men and women whose daily job is to try to keep our country safe from criminals. He failed to support the African American community like he said he would do. Then he went on a crusade to say that American was no longer a Christian Nation. He allowed immigrants from the Middle East to come into this country that hate America and our way of live. He curtailed the first amendment rights for Christians in favor of non believers.

      Along comes a guy that is not part of the Political Establishment and he shakes up things. The President in Power in 2015 approves an illegal spying operation on him and his Campaign gladly carried out by the FBI. We all know the rest of the Story.

      Reply
  2. Purpleturtle

    In my opinion Wray is a member of the deep state! He supported Comey, Mueller, etc. He refuses to release documents to the intelligent committee, Judicial Watch etc. He’s obstructing investigations into Strock and Page. I believe he should be fired because he is compromised.

    Reply
  3. GRIZZ MANN

    “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help. ” Trust me, Robert Müeller, Jim Comey, Christopher Wray, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Rob Rosenstein, Michael Horowitz, and Andrew McCabe have ushered in the new level of competency, integrity, honesty, transparency and trust to the FBI.

    Reply
  4. N

    Liberalism is a mental retardation disorder that afflicts young and old, rich and poor, cross party lines, Millennials and you know the rest. Leading the libtards are Shiff for brains,Bella Pelosi,Mutt Romney,Hillary,Waters,the squad, all the libtards running for President! The view and worst of all the treasonous RINOs! These are just some of the poster girls in the godless deranged Satanist Muslim NAZI Commie Demoncrat party!Stop these traitors/weirdos from turning the US into godless shit holes like the lib run cities..

    Reply
  5. JAMES CHESHIRE

    JIM JORDAN WILL DO HIS JOB AND GIVE THEM HELL IF THEY DON’T DO THEIRS, I/A/W/ THE US CONSTITUTION, BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW… THIS IS A GOOD THING FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND IT’S PEOPLE….

    Reply
  6. Robert Higginbotham

    Wray sounds no better than the previous directors of the FBI. I still think the FBI has been corrupted to the point it is no longer a viable law enforcement agency. It should be disbanded and it’s responsibilities shared with other agencies.

    Reply
  7. Kat

    The FBI is nothing but a bunch of corrupt criminals. It’s time to fire them all and put the duties of the FBI under the US Marshall’s. The Marshall’s have, thus far, demonstrated they operate with integrity and openness. Clean house! Buh-bye FBI!!!

    Reply
  8. marc

    Green light for Jim Jordan. He doesn’t have to promise to kick ass, he just does it, in a good way! Thank you Jim Jordan
    to pelosi and the other demonrats: this is how somebody employed by ‘we the people’ is supposed to act. They actually do what we hired them for. I know no Demonrat wants to understand this so we will make them learn the hard way… by what they have earned, and I’m not talkin about $$$, because Demonrats don’t earn it, they steal it or get it donated by other rich demonrats that have demonstrated their ill- gotten gains…

    Reply
  9. Old wolf

    See if this runs to the top with hillary in the front . After all it started with her . Time for the elite to pay for their crimes like the rest of us . Laws were made for all , not just the poor people . Make us proud again with new watch dogs

    Trump 2020 .. make the liberals cry again

    Reply
  10. Major

    FBI’s Comey, McCabe, Strzok and CiA’s John Brenan and several others have gotten away with an Attempted Coup on a duly elected POTUS. Yet the only people that went to prison and were harassed are Trump’s people. Some justice system.

    Reply

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