House Judiciary Committee says Biden FBI retaliated against whistleblower agent

FIRST ON FOX: The Biden administration’s FBI used a safety investigation to probably retaliate in opposition to a whistleblower, even attempting to query his spouse whereas denying her repeated requests for an lawyer, the Home Judiciary Committee stated.

In a letter signed by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., the committee knowledgeable FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday that the Biden administration used a safety clearance interview course of to bypass whistleblower protections and examine Particular Agent Valentine Fertitta in 2024.

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Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, leaves a Home Republican Convention assembly on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, June 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photographs)

Fertitta had flagged the FBI’s abuse of “legislation enforcement authorities.” After that, the evaluate course of for his safety clearance took unusually lengthy. Throughout that point, the FBI made efforts to interview his spouse, Emily Fertitta, and ask her to take part in a two-day interview.

When Ms. Fertitta pushed again and requested if a lawyer might be current, the Justice Division basically denied her request.

“Paperwork out there to the committee point out that SecD investigators denied Ms. Fertitta the fitting to obtain counsel throughout her interview and the chance to evaluate FBI tips relating to the interview course of prematurely,” the letter stated.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seal on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Constructing in Washington, March 10, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

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In response to the committee, the FBI informed Ms. Fertitta that “no coverage guides, manuals, or agenda or define relating to the interview can be supplied.”

“‘An lawyer could not be capable of advise you throughout questioning, ask questions, or stop you from answering your questions throughout questioning. Primarily, he/she is going to simply sit there quietly.'”

The requirement to interview Ms. Fertitta goes in opposition to the usual course of for safety clearance evaluations. The company’s SEAD 4 tips, the procedures that set the requirements, don’t enable the company to disclaim spousal privilege — the authorized proper of a partner to refuse to testify in opposition to his companion in prison instances. It additionally doesn’t give the company the authority to disclaim a request for an lawyer.

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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel speaks alongside Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi throughout a press convention in Washington, Might 7, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Photographs)

In its communications, the committee didn’t go into element in regards to the nature of the conduct that Valentine Fertitta had tried to reveal in his capability as a whistleblower.

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The Judiciary Committee has requested that the FBI present all paperwork associated to the FBI investigation into the Fertitta household. FBI Director Patel has been instructed to offer the committee with the requested documentation by November 10, 2025.