Friday, an FBI insider discussed his dissatisfaction with the bureau’s leadership in the wake of the January 6 investigations with Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan.
Steve Friend, a former domestic terrorism investigator, told the presenter of “The Andrew Klavan Show” that the FBI did not follow its processes while investigating the January 6 cases and made arrests without adequate evidence. He continued by stating that one of his superiors warned him that investigating child pornography cases was less essential than January 6.
When Friend was relocated away from his child exploitation investigations, “the assistant special agent in charge stated that he considered child pornography would be a local issue and that domestic terrorism, particularly the events of January 6, were of more concern,” he stated.
Typically, local field offices handle issues, but the whistleblower observed that after becoming involved with the January 6 cases, he recognized that they were “more or less being directed from Washington, D.C.” This, according to Friend, “violated FBI protocols.”
Therefore, “once cases are launched and assigned to a certain field office, we have particular rules on keeping them open,” Friend said to Klavan. This investigation is being supervised by agents or task force personnel. They should be able to advance the inquiry and make any required decisions.
According to Friend, the FBI’s investigation into the events on January 6 went too far. This is only one manner in which they went wrong. The leaker also claimed that the FBI treated those who did not resort to violence harshly. The FBI employed flash bangs and invaded the home of an alleged Capitol rioter whose most significant violation was entering the building at 6 a.m. and stealing a brochure. At the same time, Friend boasted to Klavan that he had apprehended 150 dangerous offenders without using a SWAT team.
The FBI agent stated that he expressed his concerns to his coworkers but was greeted with opposition. They responded by accusing me of being a useless coworker. I was charged with disobedience. A friend reported to Klavan that he had wondered, “You know, what is my future with the FBI?” despite his outstanding reputation at work.
Following a meeting with the top special agent, Friend was first sent home and then suspended because, according to the agent, he “represented an incredibly radical philosophy inside the FBI.”
Friend highlighted that this “extreme viewpoint” is more prevalent than what bureau directors assert.
Regarding the pursuit of accused January 6 rioters, the whistleblower stated, “Agents on the ground concur with my opinion that we’re being excessively forceful.” According to Friend, the separation between FBI headquarters and field offices illustrates the need for “substantial transformation.”
I believe the mindset is the primary issue,” he stated. The general populace just wants that criminals to be incarcerated.