GOP Rep. Jordan blasts FBI over whistleblower claims employees being fired for attending Jan. 6

The FBI employees in question were in engaged in "protected First Amendment activity," Jordan asserted.
Jim Jordan.
By Ben Whedon

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Friday to FBI Director Christopher Wray, admonishing the agency for an alleged effort to terminate employees for their participation in "protected First Amendment activity" on the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.

"We have serious concerns that the FBI appears to be retaliating against employees for engaging in political speech disfavored by FBI leadership," Jordan wrote.

While Jordan identifies the employees in the letter and expands on their records, the Twitter post including the letter censors their identities.

The House Judiciary GOP account asserts that the employees in question did not enter the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot and face no criminal charges.

Jordan makes clear the FBI has not directly moved to fire the employees but revoked their security clearances, which bars them from continued work with the agency and suggests termination is likely.

"Even more insulting is that the FBI would openly question the patriotism of long-time FBI employees, including at least one veteran, because they exercised their First Amendment rights on their personal time without breaking any laws," Jordan continued.

He concluded by saying the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General was investigating whether the FBI's moves violated the law.

"We ask for your personal assurance that the FBI will cooperate fully with the Inspector General's investigation," he wrote to Wray.