According to an FBI whistleblower, the Biden administration is pressuring the agency to violate the rights of Jan. 6 defendants, fabricate data on domestic terrorism, and utilize SWAT teams illegally to make misdemeanor arrests.
SWAT team agent Special Agent Stephen M. Friend, who works for the FBI in Florida, said to have a “exemplary” work history since joining the organization in 2014. However, he was recently suspended when he started voicing his concerns about the FBI and DOJ’s actions in the Jan. 6 probe.
“I believed the investigations were inconsistent with FBI procedure and resulted in the violation of citizens’ Sixth and Eighth Amendment rights,” Friend declared. “I added that many of my colleagues expressed similar concerns to me but had not vocalized their objections to FBI Executive Management.”
Justthenews.com reports: The FBI national press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent on Friday.
Friend said one of his many concerns is that the FBI is using SWAT teams to arrest Jan. 6 defendants facing misdemeanor charges, violating the bureau’s Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide and creating a potentially unsafe encounter.
“I responded that it was inappropriate to use an FBI SWAT team to arrest a subject for misdemeanor offenses and opined that the subject would likely face extended detainment and biased jury pools in Washington D.C.,” Friend wrote in his whistleblower complaint. “I suggested alternatives such as the issuance of a court summons or utilizing surveillance groups to determine an optimal, safe time for a local sheriff deputy to contact the subjects and advise them about the existence of the arrest warrant.”