Congresswoman flattens Jordan for wanting different rules for conservative FBI agents
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) began his weaponization committee hearing on Thursday by heralding the FBI whistleblowers who lost their security clearance due to their Jan. 6 sympathies. They have since been helped financially by Republican donors and allies of former President Donald Trump.
Jordan praised the men, highlighting their service to the country and in some cases, military service. He called them heroes.
Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) questioned the implication that anyone in military service or public service could do no wrong.
She brought up the Air Force member in Massachusetts who was recently arrested for allegedly leaking classified documents and asked if he's still a "hero."
"Because someone served our country in the military and that they work from a federal agency does not exempt them immediately from being somebody who could potentially commit espionage," she explained.
She went on to call out the rules that Republicans refuse to play by. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), in one case, wanted FBI agents to be fired over the Carter Page FISA application. When other misconduct is outlined for FBI agents, however, he rushes to their defense.
"But when the FBI investigates conservative Christian white men who are actually threatening violence, suddenly my Republican colleagues are rushing to defund the police," Plaskett said.
She explained that when other FBI agents are talking about their political beliefs like Peter Strzok did, they should be fired, but "when they're espousing their political beliefs on the job when they're not supposed to, it's ok when it's their [conservative] beliefs. But if it were somebody else, then a different set of rules would apply to them."
"The rules don't apply when it comes to the Republicans," she continued pointing to the beginning of the hearing on Thursday in which Jordan refused to hand over written statements of the FBI whistleblowers appearing before the committee. The rules of his own committee state that every member, regardless of party, gets the statements. Still, Jordan refused.
"It's all part and parcel of the Republicans' attempt to make Americans distrust our rule of law so when 2024 comes around and should their candidate not win, more and more people will not believe the truth," Plaskett said. "The truth matters. And hiding information and stating a lie over and over again does not make it true."
See the clip of her speech below or at the link here.
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