Op-Ed: Attacks on Whistleblowers Hurt Bureau’s Nonpolitical Reputation

This article originally appeared in Newsmax on May 25, 2023

 

Harsh criticism by the FBI, congressional Democrats, and the news media to discredit three FBI whistleblowers who testified last week to Congress was an unprecedented response to government professionals who risked their careers to speak out against government corruption and abuse of power.

The condemnations of these persons revealing wrongdoing could have serious consequences.

By making it more difficult for government whistleblowers to speak out without fear of retaliation, these attacks not only hurt the reputation of the FBI as a nonpolitical institution but could also lead to damaging leaks of classified information to the press.

The FBI whistleblowers — suspended FBI Special Agent Garret O’Boyle, former FBI Special Agent Steve Friend, and suspended FBI Staff Operations Specialist Marcus Allen — testified before the U.S. House Weaponization of Government Subcommittee on May 18 about alleged corruption and politicization in the FBI and the FBI’s retaliation against them.

The FBI officers testified that the bureau stepped up its retaliation against them for agreeing to testify to Congress about their concerns, including stripping their security clearances.

Read full op-ed in Newsmax