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A committee led by Republicans is looking into allegations of institutional bias in the US criminal justice system. Former FBI agent Nicole Parker testifies at the subcommittee’s first hearing on Capitol Hill on February 9, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Getty Images
A former FBI agent told US lawmakers in Washington that many Americans have lost trust in the law enforcement agency, and that the bureau has been “politically weaponized” by the federal government.
Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent, testified before a House committee investigating the federal government’s “weaponization” on Thursday. She said it appeared “as if there became two FBIs” during her career with the law enforcement bureau.
Parker, who worked for the FBI between 2011 and 2022, testified that there was a chasm between the organization’s headquarters in Washington, DC and the various field offices across the country.
“Starting at the top in Washington and trickling down to the field offices, the FBI became politically weaponized,” Parker said. “On paper, the bureau’s mission remained unchanged, but its priorities and governing principles shifted dramatically. All of this adds up to many Americans losing faith in the FBI and low morale among many FBI employees.”
Parker previously stated in a Fox News op-ed last month that the FBI was burdened by “one politicization issue after another.” She cited the case of FBI agents kneeling in support of Black Lives Matter protesters following the death of George Floyd in 2020 as an example of the agency getting involved in political issues.
Parker left the FBI “with an exemplary and spotless record” late last year.
The FBI said in a statement to the New York Post on Thursday that it expects its agents to “uphold the highest standards.”
“Our work is critical in protecting the American people from a variety of threats and upholding their constitutional rights,” the statement continued.
Republican Jim Jordan, a vocal critic of the alleged politicization of the FBI and the US Justice Department, chairs the subcommittee. He has also accused the agencies of targeting conservatives, and claims to have been contacted by “dozens and dozens” of FBI agents who have accused the agency of political bias.
The House established the ‘weaponization’ subcommittee in January, voting across party lines. It is also looking into the methods used by the US government.