An FBI Agent “conscientious objector” to the J6 arrests
The NY Post tells the story of an FBI whistleblower who complains that the DC Bureau office is “cooking the books to exaggerate the threat of domestic terrorism, and using an “overzealous” January 6 investigation to harass conservative Americans and violate their constitutional rights”
He was declared absent without leave last month for refusing to participate in SWAT raids that he believed violated FBI policy and were a use of excessive force against Jan. 6 subjects accused of misdemeanor offenses.
This American hero, the father of two small children, has blown up his “dream career” because he could not live with his conscience if he continued to be part of what he sees as the unjust persecution of conservative Americans.
“I have an oath to uphold the Constitution,” he told supervisors when he asserted his conscientious objection to joining an Aug. 24 raid on a J6 subject in the Jacksonville, Fla., area. “I have a moral objection and want to be considered a conscientious objector.”
Friend, who did not vote for Donald Trump in the 2020 election, said he told his immediate boss twice that he believed the raid, and the investigative process leading up to it, violated FBI policy and the subject’s right under the Sixth Amendment to a fair trial and Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment.
Ryan Reilly has a little context the Post forgot to include:
This New York Post opinion column hides the ball, but it would appear that the conservative FBI special agent here wanted to be a “conscientious objector” to… the arrest of members of a militia group who were at the western tunnel on Jan. 6.
The New York Post opinion column mentions an Aug. 24 raid, and says the FBI special agent objected to the planned arrests on Aug. 19.
That’s three days after a magistrate judge, on Aug. 16, signed off on arrest warrants for five members of the Florida-based militia group.
Here’s my Aug. 24 story on those arrests:
There were five individuals arrested in connection with that case. Three of them were arrested in Florida. There are no other Capitol attack arrests in Florida on Aug. 24 in the Justice Department database.
Now, the NYP story twice mentions that he objected to using standard FBI arrest tactics on a Jan. 6 defendant charged with misdemeanors.
Two out of three of the militia members arrested in Florida on Aug. 24 were facing a felony count.
So let’s say that this FBI special agent was, on Aug. 24, supposed to help arrest a misdemeanor-only Jan. 6 defendant.
That would be Tyler Bensch. In addition to dressing like this and spraying someone in the face with a chemical irritant on Jan. 6, the feds say he had a GoPro.
Setting all else aside, you can see here why the FBI might want to, say, get a copy of that critical GoPro footage rather than issuing a summons and giving him an opportunity to delete the incriminating evidence!
Here’s what the feds say the only misdemeanor Capitol defendant arrested in Florida on Aug. 24 did. This is the guy who this FBI special agent apparently thought should’ve gotten the kid-glove treatment, such as with a court summons.
Anonymous #SeditionHunter just now: “I did check to see if I could find the agent on j6 no luck🙂”
Can’t imagine why the New York Post didn’t include these photos in their story!
Also seems clear that the misdemeanors were likely just the opening salvo from DOJ. They’ve only been charged by criminal complaint. Just imagine what a grand jury can do with this with a boatload more evidence when it comes time for the indictment.
“The notion that the FBI isn’t, in essence, a conservative-leaning organization is really silly…”
Originally tweeted by Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) on September 23, 2022.
I’m sure there are plenty of others like this guy (who says he didn’t vote for Trump but I doubt it.) The FBI is full of white male conservatives. Many are probably straight arrows who don’t like the January 6th violence and the other lawbreaking. But there are surely more than a few who are full-fledged Trumper wingnuts like this guy. It’s inevitable. I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of a revolt to be honest.