Posted on 01/16/2018 12:30:26 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
The Justice Department's decision to give access to documents about FBI investigations to congressional Republicans risks exposing sensitive sources or material and poses a critical early test for bureau Director Christopher Wray, current and former U.S. law enforcement officials say.
Some officials view the department as capitulating to a small group of Republicans who are intent on helping President Donald Trump undermine the integrity of the FBI and, by extension, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump or any of his associates helped Russia interfere in the 2016 election.
It's the latest setback for a law enforcement agency that has long held itself out as doggedly independent and above partisan politics, only to be besieged over the last two years by questions about its handling of politically sensitive investigations into Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Trump.
One agent said he's now concerned that forms identifying FBI informants would be handed over to Congress. If that happened, he said, it would cause him to think carefully about whether to withhold sensitive information from future reports.
Another agent said recent statements about the bureau by Trump and congressional Republicans have made it more difficult for him to get informants to open up.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Faux agents trying to protect their butts with Faux News
Cry me a river. The news we've seen about the illicit FBI/DOJ conduct during the 2016 election season causes this citizen to think carefully about ever taking the U.S. Department of Justice and any of its divisions seriously again -- to the point of laughing in their faces and removing them from my property if they ever come around even to conduct a legitimate investigation.
When you see a media outlet like this one promoting the idea that a Federal bureaucracy should be allowed to operate without the complete oversight of our primary governing body (Congress), you know they realize the game is over. You'd never see this kind of stupidity if it was a Democratic House committee requesting FBI documents related to a Democratic president.
This line, “...a small group of Republicans who are intent on helping President Donald Trump undermine the integrity of the FBI...” is pretty rich. The list of those who have undermined the integrity of the FBI is long indeed, but it doesn’t include any Republican members of Congress.
The FBI did that all by themselves. They allowed a usurper to politicize and weaponize their department now they pay the price...............
“Some officials view the department as capitulating to a small group of Republicans who are intent on helping President Donald Trump undermine the integrity of the FBI”
As if it had any integrity left! Also, “undermine” here I guess means finding out the truth!
The agent should update his resume and move-on.
The FBI covered up Obama’s and Clinton’s crimes, and spied on Trump. LOL. this is the government we voted for last administration
So these "agents" are concerned about protecting their sources?
Well they should start with the FBI agent who met Chris Steele in Rome, and told him there was an FBI source inside the Trump campaign !
“One agent said he’s now concerned that forms identifying FBI informants would be handed over to Congress. If that happened, he said, it would cause him to think carefully about whether to withhold sensitive information from future reports.”
The damned FBI has ZERO right to hide ANYTHING from Congress. If it decided to, Congress could literally pass a standard bill of legislation and abolish the FBI in an afternoon. The congress passes every law this prick supposedly enforces. I would like to hear his argument that Congress does not have as much oversight as it wants.
The FBI has decided it is independent of the Presidency. Now it thinks it does not have to answer to congress. They have tried to assume a policymaking role and a role where they select and sit in judgement of the Presidency, and must be slapped down HARD. They probably should be abolished.
I suspect they are concerned longtime, reliable informants will be exposed.
Many years ago when Senator Church conducted a well publicized witch hunt into the CIA, they exposed several reliable, productive foreign contacts. Later it was learned many were lost as they were executed or sent to the gulags. That Committees set the CIA back many years as other foreign national intelligent agencies limited their sharing with the CIA afraid American politicians would damage their work too. IMO, justifiably so!!
I can hardly hold my sides in from laughing. I can't believe these government shills publish such tripe.
Why should the FBI be worried about Republican or Democrat access to their files if they’ve only been following the law?
“it would cause him to think carefully about whether to withhold sensitive information from future reports.”
Fire this guy.
To quote a line from The Shooter (2007), “Trust us ee’re the FBI”
But Democratic access didn't
My understanding is that the FBI is directed to investigate crimes such as these by the DOJ. I don’t believe they can independently open a case without authority from the superior agency. I am not sure, but I have always thought that to be true. I do know that whenever an investigation of any crime is concluded, the case then goes to the DOJ and they decide if prosecution is warranted and if so take over the case.
I was in a different LE agency in my younger days and worked some joint cases, and that is the way it was.
“I suspect they are concerned longtime, reliable informants will be exposed.”
Then they should start by cleaning their own house, and fire the “agent” who told Chris Steele in Rome that the FBI had a source in the Trump campaign !
Where is the outrage from these “FBI supporters” about that little gem ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.