House Republicans say whistleblowers allege FBI purging conservative employees, retaliations

Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee say they’ve heard from over a dozen whistleblowers alleging the FBI is purging employees with conservative viewpoints and are calling on a top agency official to speak to them about the allegations.

The request for an interview and the allegations – which also include the agency having revoked security clearances for whistleblowers who made protected disclosures to Congress – were made in a letter Thursday from Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee to the agency's executive assistant director of Human Resources, Jennifer Moore.

"During the course of this investigation, we have received protected whistleblower disclosures that the FBI is engaging in a ‘purge’ of employees with conservative views by revoking their security clearances and indefinitely suspending these employees," states the letter by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the committee’s top Republican. 

The letter also states "many of the formal notices" for those personnel actions had been signed by Moore and argues that "whistleblower disclosures to Congress are protected law."

Jordan also wrote that he has information suggesting Moore has "retaliated against at least one whistleblower who has made protected disclosures to Congress."

The whistleblower, Jordan told Fox News Digital, shared information with the committee alleging the Justice Department’s efforts last fall to identify parents considered a possible threat to school board members at public meetings. 

“We take whistleblower retaliation seriously and we therefore require that you appear for a transcribed interview as soon as possible," writes Jordan, in the two-page letter also signed by fellow GOP committee members Darrell Issa, of California, and Mike Johnson, of Louisiana. 

In response to the letter, the FBI told Fox Digital the agency “does not target or take adverse action against employees for exercising their First Amendment rights or for their political views; to allege otherwise is false and misleading.

On the matter of the security clearances, the FBI spokesperson said the agency is required to follow established policies and procedures, to include a thorough investigation, when suspending or revoking a security clearance and that any FBI employees who report evidence of wrongdoing through a protected disclosure are protected from retaliation.”