The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has determined that Timothy Thibault, a former assistant special agent in charge at the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office, violated the Hatch Act with his political posts on social media. This finding comes amidst allegations of Thibault’s partiality affecting investigations involving former President Donald Trump and Hunter Biden.
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa had referred Thibault for investigation after whistleblowers alleged his role in both opening an elector investigation into the Trump campaign and shutting down derogatory reporting about Hunter Biden. The whistleblowers accused Thibault of bypassing standard procedures to initiate full field investigations and diluting the political bias of sources in his opening memo, ultimately approved by FBI Director Chris Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Fox News Digital reported that Thibault, who later resigned from the FBI, was instrumental in closing avenues of Hunter Biden reporting in October 2020. His departure came amid Senator Grassley and Senator Ron Johnson’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, coinciding with a federal investigation into Hunter Biden that began in 2018.
The Office of Special Counsel’s letter to Grassley explained that their investigation concluded Thibault violated the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in certain political activities. Their analysis of Thibault’s social media activity, including posts on Twitter and LinkedIn, revealed prohibited political endorsements.
A notable post from July 2020 involved Thibault retweeting a message from the Lincoln Project, a hybrid political action committee. The OSC considered this act akin to “modern-day leafletting” on social media, violating the Hatch Act’s prohibition on federal employees acting in concert with partisan political groups, even while off-duty.
Senator Grassley commented on the ruling, emphasizing the importance of impartiality in federal law enforcement and the need for the FBI to restore public trust through transparency and congressional oversight. The OSC has warned Thibault that any future violations could result in disciplinary action.
This revelation highlights concerns about political bias in high-level federal law enforcement and its potential impact on significant political investigations.