Chuck Grassley says investigation into FBI revealed the ‘fox is guarding the hen house’

Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter on Thursday to Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray regarding whistleblower allegations that the FBI is not taking sexual misconduct accusations seriously. 

Grassley has led a two-year investigation into the FBI's handling of internal sexual misconduct allegations, but says he has not received adequate responses from the FBI so far. The senator claimed one of his letters from 2022 still remains unanswered.

The Iowa conservative said that his research has found hundreds of senior officials voluntarily retired or resigned during sexual misconduct probes in order to avoid punishments. One such official, identified as Jeffrey Sallet, requested a review of the disciplinary patterns of the FBI on sexual misconduct, and resigned himself amid an investigation into him.

“Apparently, one of the reasons DOJ and its component agencies can’t straighten out their problems of workplace harassment is that the fox is guarding the hen house,” Grassley wrote in the letter.

“The supreme irony of [then-Executive Assistant Director of the Human Resources Branch, Jeffrey] Sallet requesting the [Office of Disciplinary Appeals] review of senior officials retiring or resigning to avoid disciplinary action is that 'Sallet left the FBI and federal service while this investigation was ongoing,'" he added.

The senator also called for more transparency in how the FBI investigates sexual abuse cases regarding children, claiming that whistleblowers have told him that the bureau reassigned personnel from child exploitation cases to January 6 cases.

One whistleblower allegedly told Grassley that they were "essentially idle" for months on January 6 cases while child sexual abuse cases continued to come into the office. 

“One thing is certain,” the Iowan wrote, “The FBI will not be able to remedy its many failings in this area if it treats sexual abuse against children as a non-priority.”

Grassley requested the FBI and Justice Department turn over details regarding the allegations by Oct. 24. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.