The FBI falls under the umbrella of the Department of Justice and the attorney general. But according to a Washington Post report, the FBI has operated under the assumption that they are the superiors.
The piece details the ongoing fear of Republican attacks. Both entities were reportedly concerned that the GOP would claim that the Justice Department was being weaponized against them, as occurred during Bill Barr's era. So, they pulled back to appease the right. The GOP responded by claiming that the Justice Department is being weaponized against Republicans.
Addressing it, former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks noted that during her time at the DOJ, the FBI would never behave in such a manner.
"For me, the most shocking revelation in this excellent reporting is the brazen refusal of the FBI to cooperate in investigating as requested by DOJ -- though the DOJ higher-ups were certainly not helping the line prosecutors. When I was at DOJ, FBI worked collaboratively with us," she tweeted on Monday.
