A year after, the informant, who is now a fellow on domestic intelligence and security services at the Washington-based think tank Center for Renewing America, surfaced to voice his frustrations, calling House Republicans "soulless demons," for actually "rewarding the FBI despite his disclosures," with $300 million worth of funds for a new headquarters (HQ). The Congress, whom Friend said has all the political will to reform the troubled bureau, has not even done anything about "rehabilitating" the bureau.
Last year, I brought protected whistleblower disclosures about @FBI weaponization to @HouseGOP. They used it to go on TV & get elected. I lost my career and am under FBI investigation. Today the House GOP voted to give the FBI a $300 million HQ.
Soulless demons. Go to hell.
— Steve Friend (@RealStevefriend) November 9, 2023
"It was a mixture of being utterly frustrated and disappointed, and the feeling of betrayal because that was one of the, albeit symbolic, gestures that I felt was insufficient," said Friend, adding that when 70 House Republicans voted to approve the construction of a new FBI HQ in Greenbelt, Maryland, it was a direct contradiction of a concrete commitment made to him by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He said Jordan committed to him after he testified on May 18 before the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. He shared his bombshell information along with FBI staff operations specialist Marcus Allen and FBI special agent Garret O'Boyle. Their testimony focused on ways the Justice Department and the FBI targeted conservatives for harassment, surveillance and any chance to pull them into criminal proceedings. Another FBI whistleblower, Kyle Serafin, came forward with similar experiences.
"We met afterward for a few minutes back in the majority's offices and had a lunch set up, and he [Jordan] said 'What do you think could be done to fix the FBI?' and before we had a chance to answer, he said 'Obviously they're not going to get new headquarters,'" Friend disclosed.
In 2014, the General Services Administration (GSA) began the process of building a new FBI headquarters 2013 under the title "FBI Headquarters Consolidation," to take the current headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building at Washington's 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, off the books. Out of three locations proposed, the GSA favored the Greenbelt, Maryland site. But FBI Director Christopher Wray opposed it probably because it is a further drive to the airport for him. "He hates sitting in traffic before abusing the @FBI jet," Friend said.
He also claimed he told Jordan, who was joined at the luncheon by representatives Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), that the FBI was already building out facilities in Alabama to function as its new headquarters. "At that point, I informed him that there was a two-and-a-half billion dollar facility in Huntsville presently that was intended to be a new headquarters," he said. "That took him by surprise. He said they would look into what was going on with that."
Later, Gaetz brought an amendment to the House floor to defund the next phase of building the new FBI headquarters on Nov. 8. Gaetz said: "Building a new headquarters would condone, reinforce and enable the actions of the Washington field office's nefarious behavior. We shouldn't do it." But the amendment was defeated 145-273, with both Bishop and Jordan voting in support of the amendment.
Matt Gaetz introduces an amendment to keep the FBI from building a massive new headquarters larger than the Pentagon.
"Building a new headquarters would condone, reinforce, and enable the actions of the Washington field office's nefarious behavior. We shouldn't do it." pic.twitter.com/H0GbY5RCko
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 9, 2023
FBI employees are aware of corruption in the agency but are scared to come out
Following this event, Friend posted on social media saying House Republicans used information he and the other whistleblowers provided before and after the 2022 midterm elections for their political advantage, but not for the reforms the information was meant to create.
"There's a lot more tools at their disposal that I think they have that they've not used," he said. "They can defund particular individuals' salaries, positions and programs, and they just haven't done it." He further lamented that more individuals inside the FBI are aware of the political corruption of the institution. But when they see how previous whistleblowers and their information are treated, they are going to keep their information to themselves.
"A legitimate part of being a government employee, who swears an oath to the Constitution and the rule of law, is to come forward if you believe that there is waste, fraud, abuse, or an unnecessary risk to the public safety. If you protect the guys that have already come forward, you will have more come forward as a result of the outward and public retaliation," he said.
According to Friend, who is now under FBI investigation as well, "There are people that are now on the inside and in a position to either verify the information that we've already brought forward or bring forward more information but they are scared because they saw what happened to guys like O'Boyle, Allen, Serafin and myself." (Related: FBI punishing whistleblowers who dare to reveal the politicization of the agency under Biden.)
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