During a hearing this Wednesday of the House Judiciary Committee that featured FBI Director Christopher Wray as a witness, ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) systematically dismantled the phony narratives of FBI corruption propagated by the Republican side, as embodied by chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
“For them, this hearing is little more than performance art,” Nadler argued in his opening remarks, discussing Republicans. “It is an elaborate show designed with only two purposes in mind: to protect Donald Trump from the consequences of his actions and to return him to the White House in the next election.” Nadler subsequently referenced past comments from Jordan where the Ohio Republican framed some of the House GOP’s actions in terms of impacts on the 2024 presidential race.
“Chairman Jordan has launched an array of baseless investigations into the FBI, most premised on absurd conspiracy theories,” Nadler continued. “Some so absurd that the chairman can not possibly believe them to be true… Today House Republicans will attack the FBI for having had the audacity to treat Donald Trump like any other citizen.”
In subsequent comments, Nadler touched on issues including alleged misrepresentations made by Republicans of past statements to the panel from a former leader of the Washington Field Office of the FBI. In short, though that ex-official initially expressed a lack of precise understanding as to why the classified docs investigation into Trump was orchestrated in that D.C. office, he subsequently explained how it still made procedural sense. Republicans spotlighted the first part.
Republicans have developed their conspiracy theories alleging some kind of systematic corruption at the FBI in specific connection to the bureau’s investigative work around Trump, but time and again, it’s shown that there’s just little real substance to claims of political mishandling. Objectively, the matters involving the former president have been handled in a relatively routine fashion, per many observers.
Check out the hearing below:
