Judicial Watch announces that the FBI shared dossiers on whistleblowers with Democrats

On Monday, Judicial Watch announced that it has received 54 pages of records from the Department of Justice in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit which they claim shows that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA) provided a Democrat staffer with information on FBI whistleblowers who testified in a May 18, 2023 hearing. The whistleblowers detailed the bureau's targeting of political opponents.

Judicial Watch claims that a May 23, 2023, email from Damon Marx, senior counsel in the office of New York Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman, shows that the FBI provided documents apparently pertaining to the whistleblowers that were "very helpful" to Goldman.

Marx writes to an FBI Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA) official whose name is redacted: "We spoke last week before the Weaponization hearing on Thursday. Thanks again for sending over those documents. They were very helpful to the Congressman."

"Francesco (my colleague cc'ed here) and I will be good points of contact for you going forward," Marx continued. "Both of us broadly cover law enforcement; however, in terms of specifics, I cover cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and much of the Congressman's committee work, while Francesco covers issues ranging from immigration to gun violence."

"We would love to meet in person next time you have the chance," Marx continued. "Please let us know when you're available for coffee or just to swing by the office. And don't hesitate to reach out on any other matters!"

The CC'd colleague is Francesco Arreaga, then a Democrat staffer on the House Homeland Security Committee and a former Elizabeth Warren campaign staffer.

The House Judiciary Committee subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government held the hearing on May 18, 2023.

To date, the Committee and Select Subcommittee have received whistleblower testimony from several current and former FBI employees who chose to risk their careers to expose abuses and misconduct in the FBI. Some of these employees-Special Agents Garret O'Boyle and Stephen Friend, Supervisory Intelligence Analyst George Hill, and Staff Operations Specialist Marcus Allen-have chosen to speak on the record about their experiences.

Allen was suspended for forwarding emails to colleagues that, "Indicated potential problems with the investigation as far as informants were concerned, and our organization's potential forthrightness about the utilization of informants there on that day. That might have some impact on our cases and the subjects that we're looking up, and just a general awareness overall for the investigation as a whole, that there might have been some kind of potential Federal involvement with the activities on January 6th, and I thought it was important enough that it like warranted our attention."

Because these open-source articles questioned the FBI's handling of the violence at the Capitol, the FBI suspended Allen for "conspiratorial views in regards to the events of January 6th."

The day before the hearing, the FBI revoked the security clearances of three agents who testified, Steve Friend, Garret O'Boyle, and Marcus Allen.

"It's my understanding that you're out this week, but if you have a moment to chat about some of the witnesses for Thursday's Weaponization hearing, it would be super helpful," wrote Marx in an email. "Please let me know if you're available tomorrow when you have a chance."

The FBI OCA official responds: "Sure, give me a call when you can."

In a May 9, 2023, email to Goldman's then-Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director Erin Meegan, an FBI OCA official whose name is redacted writes:

"I was disappointed I didn't get the opportunity to meet you during our trip to Quantico," the agent writes. "We are planning to take another trip there, maybe later this summer, so hopefully you'll be able to join us then. I serve as [redacted]. OCA plays a key role in communicating with lawmakers and their staffers about FBI activities and is the primary point of contact for all Congressional matters." "I would like an opportunity to meet with you to properly introduce myself and tell you more about the mission of OCA, along with providing information about what OCA can offer your office. I would also like to know what issues Rep. Goldman and your office are interested in to see if there is any way I can assist in those areas. Additionally, based on my background, I think I may be able to provide insight or answer some questions about issues that do not require senior FBI leadership briefings or hearings."

The Judicial Watch October 2023 lawsuit that uncovered these documents was filed after the Justice Department failed to respond to a May 18, 2023, FOIA request (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:23-cv-03003)). Judicial Watch asked for:

All records of communication between any official or employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and any member of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, any staff member for the subcommittee, or any staff member for any subcommittee member between April 1, 2023, and the present.

Judicial Watch represented Marcus Allen, a decorated veteran, FBI analyst and witness before the Weaponization Subcommittee, in a lawsuit against FBI Director Christopher Wray for violating Allen's constitutional rights by falsely accusing him of holding "conspiratorial views," stripping his security clearance, and suspending him from duty without pay. On May 31, 2024, Allen's security clearance was reinstated.