Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) suggested FBI Director Christopher A. Wray lied under oath about the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Gaetz made his observation during the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Weaponization’s Thursday (May 18) hearing.
The Florida Republican criticized Wray, along with the FBI’s Washington office, for the presence of January 6 informants. The congressman began by defending FBI personnel operations specialist Marcus Allen, who says he was suspended along with agents Garret O’Boyle and Steve Friend for calling out abuses of power within the agency.
Gaetz explained Allen was retaliated against for saying the same thing the FBI’s Washington field office said to Boston when the Boston office said they wouldn’t “investigate people that just showed up at a rally without sufficient criminal predicate.”
Gaetz noted the Washington field office replied to Boston that it couldn’t give Boston “evidence” because it could expose “the very CIs [confidential informant] and UCs [undercover officers] that you are concerned about.”
Later, in a post on Twitter, Gaetz suggested that the FBI director lied to Congress when he said in testimony to the U.S. Senate on March 2, 2021, that the FBI was not present on January 6.
He highlighted how the Washington, D.C. FBI Field Office” CONFIRMED that undercover officers, confidential informants and FBI assets were present the United States Capitol” on January 6, despite FBI Director Wray’s testimony to the contrary.
His comments came as House Republicans, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio, blasted federal law enforcement officials when Allen, Friend, and O’Boyle explained their experiences at the FBI.
Republican Rep. Kat Cammack (Fla.) added that there was clearly a pattern present in the FBI, that those who reveal misconduct they witnessed in the agency or share information that does not suit the “FBI’s political narrative,” there will be repercussions, including being suspended, having security clearances revoked, and their “life will be turned upside-down.”
