In a recent interview, FBI Director Kash Patel raised questions about the independence of the agency under the leadership of former Director James Comey.
He suggesting that the Bureau had overstepped its bounds by choosing which cases to prosecute and how to present that information to the public.
Patel's comments came during a discussion on "Sunday Morning Futures" about the Bureau's investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James over alleged mortgage fraud.
According to Newsmax, Patel accused the FBI of bias in its Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which sought to portray President Donald Trump as a pawn of Russia. "You asked in the beginning," Patel stated, "how the FBI was weaponized. Well, the FBI hijacked the constitutional responsibility of the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, and James Comey and others specifically decided what cases to prosecute and not prosecute. Don't believe me? Go to the videotape in the Hillary Clinton investigation."
While Patel did not clarify which videotape he was referring to, he emphasized that it is not the Bureau's role to decide which cases to pursue. That responsibility, he asserted, lies with the Department of Justice.
"We don't decide prosecutions, and neither does any agent or intel analyst. We have great partners under Attorney General [Pam] Bondi. We work with them and discuss the matter with them, but the prosecutorial decision is with them."
Patel also hinted at new revelations about the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, promising a "wave of transparency" for the agency. "And I'm just telling you right now, as much as we know about Crossfire Hurricane, he and I," Patel said, indicating FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, "just found out more last week, and we're continuing to work with Congress to put those documents out."
Patel criticized the former leadership of the FBI, accusing them of not only distorting the FISA process and misleading the American public, but also of concealing documentation. "That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. Not only did they bastardize the FISA process and lie to the American public, they withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look."
Patel expressed optimism about the future of the FBI, promising a clean-up of the agency and a new era of transparency. "It's a good thing we're here now to clean it up, and you're about to see a wave of transparency," he said. "Just give us about a week or two."
In 2022, the Democratic National Committee and the 2016 Clinton Campaign agreed to pay a $113,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission for concealing their role in commissioning the Steele Dossier. This controversial document claimed that Trump had been compromised by Russia through a "pee tape."
The allegations and revelations brought forth by Patel underscore the importance of transparency and accountability within the FBI. As the agency moves forward, it will be crucial to ensure that it operates within its constitutional boundaries, upholding the principles of justice and fairness that are central to its mission.
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