(Originally appeared in The American Thinker on September 13th.)
It’s been a rough few weeks for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It’s faced a serious amount of backlash following its callous raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound, with a number of questions surrounding whether it was completed properly or not. But now there’s word within its own ranks that there’s a loss of confidence in its leadership.
Last week, FBI agent Timothy Thibault resigned from the agency after it was revealed that he had obstructed the investigation into Hunter Biden’s laptop, as well as published a number of tweets against former president Trump. I can tell you right now that if a police officer did that in any way shape or form, they’d not only put their department at risk, but also the people they’re attempting to protect. We just can’t have that.
But it gets worse. A new report from Fox News now hints that there’s a heavy loss of agents’ confidence in FBI director Christopher Wray, with a number of calls for him to resign.
This information comes from Kurt Siuzdak, a lawyer who represents a number of FBI “whistleblowers,” consisting of former agents and other insiders. He notes, “I’m hearing from [FBI personnel] that they feel like the director has lost control of the bureau. They’re saying, “How does this guy survive? He’s leaving. He’s got to leave.”
I can tell you, from my 30+ years of law enforcement, that a loss of leadership is a crucial blow to any office. If you need any further proof of this, just take a look at what happened in Uvalde, Texas. An active shooter was able to kill over 20 people — including children — because over 100+ police officers and agents were stuck waiting outside. The reason? No clear leadership. Without proper leadership, there’s chaos.
What’s more, Siuzdak detailed exactly what Wray does with his job. “All Wray does is go in and say we need more training and we’re doing stuff about it, or we will not tolerate it.”
What kind of leadership is that? “You need more training.” Great, so get them that training. It’s not rocket science. As someone who’s supposed to be guiding them into being better, it’s up to you to show them the direction. Not just say, “You should work on that.” You don’t see driving instructors getting into a car and saying, “Okay, take us to the mall.” No, you guide them on how to drive. It’s not rocket science.
Siuzdak isn’t just blowing smoke, either. He has almost 25 years of experience as an FBI agent. He actually departed back in March, noting both alleged politicization at the top, and the fact that leaders simply weren’t being held accountable. That’s just laziness, especially if they’re not doing their job.
And how did the FBI respond to this? Denial.
Brian O’Hare, president of the FBI Agents Association, noted in a statement,
Attempts to politicize FBI Agents’ work and divide our team should be rejected. While there are some who claim to speak on behalf of FBI Agents, only the FBI Agents Association, representing more than 90 percent of active duty Special Agents, serves as the voice for these Agents. It is with this voice that FBIAA acknowledges the important partnerships that field Agents have with Director Wray and Bureau leadership, prosecutors making charging decisions, state and local law enforcement, and the private sector. FBI Agents work hard every day to protect the public and our Constitution. With a clear eye on our mission, we remain confident in Director Wray, his leadership team, and our Agents.
So let me get this straight. Siuzdak, who is a former agent with years of experience in the field, is making clear note of problems within the agency. And their best answer is “Someone’s trying to slam us, we’re gonna keep on keeping on”?
They make a note that they have a “clear eye on our mission.” Well, that’s great, but what is that mission? To “follow your gut” and move forward with investigations however you see fit? To keep those in the agency that aren’t performing up to speed? To continue to target certain opponents while pushing others up in the ranks?
I do hope the FBI take a closer look at the actions of Wray and other problematic agents within their ranks. Otherwise, justice simply isn’t being served, and considering we need solid leadership now more than ever, that’s something they should be investigating a lot more closely. Especially since it’s right there in their name. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Makes sense, right?
