A top House Republican seeks more information about a former senior FBI official who made unauthorized contact and accepted unapproved gifts from members of the media in the run-up to the 2016 election.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter on Wednesday to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, whose office released a summary this week that said his investigation into allegations of misconduct against an unnamed then-senior FBI employee uncovered evidence to substantiate them.
The congressman asked for an unredacted case file for the summary, including all relevant documents, communications, and any other evidence, that would help the panel ascertain “the extent of this serious misconduct” and “evaluate the FBI’s handling of the matter.”
He highlighted two paragraphs in the brief investigative summary:
“The OIG investigation substantiated the allegation that the Senior FBI Official had numerous unauthorized contacts with the media from 2014 through 2016, in violation of FBI policy. In addition to substantive communications with reporters, this media contact included unauthorized social engagements outside of FBI Headquarters involving drinks, lunches, and dinners.
The OIG also found that the Senior FBI Official violated federal regulations and FBI policy when the Senior FBI Official accepted tickets from members of the media to two black tie dinner events, one valued at $225 and the other valued at $300, and received transportation to one event from a reporter, all without prior authorization.”
— Justice Department Office of the Inspector General
The summary “explains that the unnamed senior official retired from the FBI before an OIG interview could occur,” Jordan wrote. “When asked to sit for a voluntary interview, the senior official declined. The OIG also noted in the investigative summary that this investigation grew out of OIG’s investigation of misconduct by the FBI and Department of Justice in advance of the 2016 election.”
