Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have gone on the offensive, issuing a subpoena to Jennifer Leigh Moore, Executive Assistant Director of Human Resources at the FBI, late Monday.
The move came after the committee released a report accusing Democrats of underplaying the number of witnesses they had talked to, as well as the content of their testimony. Republicans still contend that the FBI has wrongfully targeted those with conservative viewpoints, and the subpoena is part of an effort to get to the bottom of it.
Chairman Jim Jordan (R–Ohio) issued the subpoena after Moore refused to answer questions about the FBI’s “retaliation against brave whistleblowers who have come forward to raise concerns about abuses they have seen at the bureau,” according to a statement from Jordan’s spokesman.
The FBI released a statement in response, saying that Moore only declined to answer questions related to an ongoing review of some of the claims from the witnesses. This, the agency said, is to “protect the integrity of the process and the privacy of the individuals.”
The committee, however, dismissed the statement as false, and continued to press Moore to testify.
The controversy centers around one of the Republican’s witnesses, Garrett O’Boyle, a Kansas City field office agent, whose security clearance was suspended. Democrats say that O’Boyle refused to provide them with documents regarding the suspension, and that he had never taken his complaints to the Justice Department or FBI offices tasked with handling such claims.
Republicans have seized on the subpoena as a way to cast the FBI in a negative light, arguing that the agency is trying to cover up any wrongdoings.
“The FBI should be transparent and accountable to the American people,” Jordan said in a statement. “We will not allow the bureau to hide the truth or sweep this under the rug.”
The subpoena is only the latest move from Republicans as they continue to push their agenda of discrediting the FBI. With Moore’s testimony, the committee is hoping to gain further insight into the agency’s handling of the whistleblowers. It remains to be seen what information, if any, will be revealed.
