(NewsNation) — The FBI is under scrutiny again after a U.S. House hearing originally intended to deal with dramatic accusations about the FBI being politicized and weaponized by the federal government.
According to a now-retracted memo, agents allegedly were told to scribble down license plate numbers at school board meetings. At least one agent allegedly went undercover to investigate possible links between Catholics and the far-right movement.
In true Beltway fashion, the hearing quickly turned political, and even dysfunctional at times. During the hearing, both sides tried to assert that the weaponization of investigations raised troubling issues.
“My colleagues on the far right are on a mission to attack, discredit and ultimately dismantle the FBI. This is ‘Defund the Police’ on steroids,” said Rep. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands.
The hearing revolved around a panel of former and current FBI members who saw their security clearances either suspended or revoked, in what House Republicans say is retaliation for raising concerns about FBI tactics.
The whistleblowers say the FBI put a heavy focus on, and went beyond standard procedures in investigating suspects in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The hearing provided few specific examples of widespread wrongdoing, with both the FBI and Democrats attempting to chip away at the credibility of witnesses.
An FBI letter to the committee obtained by NewsNation describes concerns about how FBI agents handled Jan. 6 investigations, and questioned how the agents could possibly release sensitive information.
The letter goes on to discuss how one of the witnesses allegedly obstructed an investigation into a person connected to the Capitol riot.
During the hearing, both sides claimed that the weaponization of investigations raised troubling issues.