Hearings by the House Judiciary Committee’s select committee on arming the federal government typically prove to be a mix of fascination, frustration, craziness and comedy. The latest installment in the series of hearings held by the subcommittee on Wednesday continued that style.
The hearing was billed as follows:
The hearing will examine how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has used its security clearance process to purge its ranks of conservatives and whistleblowers and to improperly punish individuals with views that run counter to those of FBI leadership.
Witnesses included Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt, FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner.
Marcus Allen, as some may recall, is the former FBI Staff Operations Specialist who faced retaliation from the agency after daring to question some of the agency’s actions. He testified before the subcommittee in May 2023 and recently (in June 2024) received some validation of his claims by reaching a settlement with the agency, although it appears he has not yet been paid his awarded back pay.
New whistleblower information reveals anti-Trump bias of lead FBI agent investigating Florida assassination attempt
FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen rehabilitated: security clearance restored,
Full back payment granted
All of them have been put through the wringer, to say the least. In fact, as recently reported by Empower Oversight letter addressed to Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the Subcommittee:
According to our SecD SSA client, DAD Veltri made comments that suggested Mr. Allen was delusional for relying on his religious beliefs rather than citing secular, moral or ethical reasons for disclosing wrongdoing. To others at SecD, this implied that DAD Veltri believed that Mr. Allen’s Christian faith as a devout Catholic was grounds for denying him access to confidential information.
On Wednesday, Allen not only spoke before the subcommittee but also about the attacks on his faith, showing his determination to confront it rather than be deterred by the ridicule of others.
Allen’s testimony was powerful and he was visibly moved as he delivered it. The full prepared speech can be found here Herebut I would like to highlight one part of it:
Despite the stress and uncertainty, I have never regretted standing up for the truth. In fact, I am grateful for the experience. If you don’t worship God, you will worship something else. You can serve either God or Mammon, but you cannot serve both.
Although we have lost material things, we have gained more critical things. We have stored up treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20) Our faith has grown, and we have seen the hand of God intervene in our lives in unexpected ways. What we have gained has far outweighed what we have lost.
John Adams stated that the structure of our country was created for a moral and religious people and is unfit for the government of another. James Madison states that the duty to honor God takes precedence, both in time and in degree of obligation, over the claims of civil society. Before a man can be considered a member of civil society, he must be considered a subject of the Sovereign of the Universe.
I recently learned of comments made by Mr. Jeffrey Veltri accusing me of being delusional for believing in and being guided by the Holy Spirit. Mr. Veltri is currently serving as Special Representative for the Miami Field Office, but at the time he was a senior officer in the Security Division overseeing security clearance decisions. I would like to address Mr. Veltri. Sir, you can belittle and insult me ​​if you want, but you should not mock God. It is an insult to the infinite dignity of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and bad for the health of your soul (Matthew 12:31).
But this isn’t about me. It’s about much more. I hope the truth about what happened comes out in full and stops the FBI from doing the same injustice to others.
While I would not wish this much suffering on anyone, I must ask other employees who have witnessed misconduct to have the courage to speak up. They are not alone and never will be. “Where can I flee from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:5-7) I have been fortunate to be supported along the way by God’s grace, men and women of good will, other whistleblowers, the charity of the American people, many prayers, and great advocates like Tristan Leavitt and Jason Foster of Empower Oversight.
Potential whistleblowers: Please do not let the FBI’s abuses silence you. We are all here to support you if you decide to come forward. “For evil to triumph, all it takes is for good to do nothing.” Equally critical is the awareness and involvement of the American people.
Throughout the hearing, which can be read in full below, Allen maintained his composure and calmly answered questions, even those posed angrily by Democrats. Towards the end (at about 2:22:00), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) pointed out the Democrats’ ongoing efforts to focus all energy on Donald Trump and “Project 2025” while steadfastly ignoring the open persecution of Allen and others under the current administration. He then asked Allen for further comment, to which Allen responded:
“Yes, sir. I just want to say that I consider today’s hearing to be my last official act in the public service of the United States of America and I will give you my professional opinion on it. I have been an intelligence expert for our country for many years and have made recommendations and also reviewed leads and warnings. So I would like to offer the following to the American people as my warning to them:
“This is a warning – I say to the American people: I personally have no confidence that the FBI will control its own conduct. I was persecuted, along with Garret (O’Boyle), Steve (Friend) and Kyle (Seraphin), and countless other whistleblowers. I believe the FBI used reprisal and fear to control the workforce. It was a seemingly effective tactic.
“I personally believe that there are currently no effective checks and balances in place to prevent them from engaging in unlawful acts and to provide them with any kind of corrections within a reasonable time frame. I applaud the IG’s work, but I believe that with any kind of unlawful acts, there is no reasonable time frame to curb them. Their ability to over-classify information can allow them to jam forever.
“To the American people: You have a duty as citizens to vote, and I urge you to do so. It is your way of participating in American life. I know people have doubts about the integrity of elections, but you must vote – it is your right. Make your right and do not give it up willingly. Make sure your voice is heard.
“My other recommendations are in the natural order: First, vote. Second, the Second Amendment — arm yourself and know how to defend yourself. Make three to four friendships in your neighborhood and promise to help each other in times of need. And during the Great Depression, people stockpiled. I think that’s a good practice, especially in our economic times, to make sure you have three to four months of food. As a person of faith, I would say, pray the rosary, go to First Friday devotions — that’s for everyone, all my brothers and sisters of all faiths, and I know I’m Catholic — and read the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live it every day.”
Delusional? Or prescient and wise. Special Agent Veltri may see it differently, but I would choose the latter.
