FBI whistleblower fires back at Democrat who questioned his receipt of outside financial help

FBI whistleblower Stephen Friend on Thursday hit back at New York Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman who raised questions about his receipt of financial support from an organization run by a former Trump advisor during a hearing of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Government.

Friend has alleged that he faced retaliation from the FBI after he raised concerns about the bureau's alleged manipulation of crime statistics, its use of SWAT teams, and its treatment of Jan. 6 defendants.

Appearing on the "Just the News, No Noise" television show on Thursday, Friend denied that the financial support he received motivated his decision to blow the whistle on the bureau.

"I think you just have to look at the facts in this: I gave up a very lucrative salary, my dream career, a career that I pursued for a long time to get, and I did so," he said. "And if you think that I did that, in the hopes that I would receive a small donation several months later from a gentleman who I've never met in my entire life, I think that you're deluding yourself."

During the hearing, Goldman pointed to the activities of Kash Patel, who runs The Kash Foundation. The New York Democrat questioned whistleblowers Friend and Garret O'Boyle as to their receipt of funds from the group.

Friend affirmed that he knew Patel, prompting Goldman to ask if he had received money from him.

"Yes. He gave me a donation last November," Friend answered, per Mediaite. Goldman took exception to his use of the term "donation" and questioned whether Friend was a "charitable organization."

"I was an unpaid, indefinitely suspended man trying to feed his family. And he’s reached out to me and said he wanted to give me a donation," he retorted.

Friend testified alongside O'Boyle and fellow whistleblower Marcus Allen that the bureau had retaliated against each of them. Friend and Allen both wrote in their prepared opening statements that the bureau had not permitted them to seek outside employment.

O'Boyle also confirmed that he received funds from Patel's organization.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.