Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:03:09CHAIR GRASSLEY: GOOD MORNING.
00:03:19DIRECTOR PATEL, WELCOME TO YOUR
00:03:23SECOND ANNUAL OVERSIGHT HEARING.
00:03:27I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENDANCE TODAY.
00:03:32>> THIS IS LIVE COVERAGE ON
00:03:35C-SPAN3. CHAIR GRASSLEY: YOU COMMITTED TO
00:03:39NOT LEAVING EARLY.
00:03:40YOU ARE NOW IN YOUR YEAR TWO OF
00:03:45YOUR DIRECTORSHIP.
00:03:48IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME,
00:03:51YOU HAVE FACED MANY CHALLENGES,
00:03:53BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
00:03:58FORCES THAT YOU FACED.
00:04:00IT IS NOT AN EASY TASK MANAGING
00:04:05BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL
00:04:07FORCES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME REPAIRING THE DAMAGE DONE BY
00:04:11YOUR PREDECESSORS.
00:04:16YOU WILL HEAR DEMOCRATS CRITICIZE YOU TODAY FOR DREAMED
00:04:20UP FAILURES.
00:04:21THEY ARE GOING TO CRITICIZE YOU
00:04:24FOR FIRING ANY PERSONNEL AND
00:04:27SUPPOSEDLY WEAKENING THE AGENCY.
00:04:30BUT THE NUMBERS ON CRIME SHOW
00:04:33THAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE JOB
00:04:36DONE, ACCORDING TO DATA PROVIDED
00:04:39TO THIS COMMITTEE, IN THE PAST
00:04:4218 MONTHS, CRIMINAL ARRESTS ARE UP 80%.
00:04:46VIOLENT CRIME ARRESTS ARE UP 90%.
00:04:52GANG AND CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE
00:04:56ARRESTS ARE UP 30%, AS COMPARED
00:05:00TO THE PRECEDING 18 MONTHS.
00:05:04ENSURING THE SAFETY OF KIDS IS
00:05:06OF MONUMENTAL IMPORTANCE TO ME,
00:05:10AND WE HAVE ALSO HAD, ON THAT
00:05:14SUBJECT, A MAJOR BIPARTISAN
00:05:16FOCUS OF ALL THE MEMBERS OF THIS
00:05:21COMMITTEE ON SAFETY FOR KIDS.
00:05:24IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS, THE FBI
00:05:27HAS HELPED TO LOCATE AND
00:05:29IDENTIFY OVER 11,000 CHILDREN
00:05:33WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF CRIME.
00:05:37THAT IS UP 21 PERCENT FROM THE PRECEDING 18 MONTHS.
00:05:40IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, THE
00:05:43FBI HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
00:05:46ARREST OF OVER 5000 CHILD
00:05:50PREDATORS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKERS.
00:05:52THAT IS UP 13% FROM THE
00:05:55PRECEDING 18 MONTHS.
00:05:57THESE PREDATORS ARE THE
00:06:00DEFINITION OF EVIL, AND I
00:06:05APPLAUD YOUR LEADERSHIP IN
00:06:09HUNTING DOWN THESE AWFUL PEOPLE.
00:06:14THIS, ALL WHILE DEMOCRATS STOOD
00:06:16IDLY BY THE BIDEN-HARRIS
00:06:22ADMINISTRATION WHEN THEY LOST OR
00:06:26CANNOT LOCATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE CHILDREN.
00:06:30THE FBI PERSONNEL WHO HELPED
00:06:31BRING THESE EVIL PREDATORS TO
00:06:36JUSTICE DESERVE THE THANKS OF A GRATEFUL NATION.
00:06:39THEY ARE DOING THE JOB THE RIGHT
00:06:42WAY, UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS BIDEN
00:06:46ADMINISTRATION.
00:06:47AND DURING YOUR TENURE, NINE OF
00:06:52THE FBI'S TOP 10 FUGITIVES HAVE BEEN CAPTURED.
00:06:55THESE DATAPOINTS SHOW SOLID WORK
00:07:02BY THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FBI UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
00:07:07OF COURSE, YOU WOULD EXPECT ME
00:07:10TO TALK ABOUT WHISTLEBLOWERS WHILE YOU ARE HERE.
00:07:14I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOSTER AN
00:07:17ENVIRONMENT WHERE TRUE AND
00:07:20LEGITIMATE WHISTLEBLOWERS ARE
00:07:23REWARDED AND NOT PUNISHED FOR BLOWING THE WHISTLE.
00:07:26FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED -- WHO
00:07:32YOU HAVE HELPED, THE COMMITTEE THANKS YOU.
00:07:35I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO HEAR
00:07:36THEM OUT PERSONALLY, BECAUSE THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE
00:07:42UNVARNISHED VIEW LEADERSHIP
00:07:44NEEDS TO HEAR AND NOT WANT TO
00:07:47HEAR AND, OF COURSE, WITH THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WORK
00:07:50UNDER YOU, YOU CANNOT KNOW
00:07:53EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON. THIS CONGRESS, I HAVE MADE
00:07:57THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF RECORDS
00:08:00PUBLIC, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO
00:08:06BRAVE WHISTLEBLOWERS. ALSO UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, I
00:08:09HAVE BEGUN TO RECEIVE RECORDS
00:08:12THAT I HAVE SOUGHT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
00:08:15FOR EXAMPLE, I RECEIVED THE
00:08:17DECEMBER 2019 EMAIL TO FBI AGENT
00:08:24JOE PLANCKA, WHO WAS HEAVILY
00:08:30INVOLVED IN CROSSFIRE HURRICANE. THAT EMAIL CONTAINS INFORMATION
00:08:34THAT APPEARS TO CORROBORATE EXISTING PUBLIC EVIDENCE THAT
00:08:36PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS THE TARGET
00:08:39OF A POLITICAL HIT AND THE
00:08:44GOVERNMENT KNEW IT MANY YEARS THAT IT WAS GOING ON.
00:08:50THE EMAIL OUGHT TO BE
00:08:53DECLASSIFIED FOR THE PUBLIC TO DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
00:09:00WHY WOULDN'T PRESIDENT TRUMP WANT ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT
00:09:03THE ABUSE THAT HE TOOK BE DECLASSIFIED?
00:09:07IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM, I WANT YOU TO ASK HIM THAT.
00:09:12SPEAKING OF CROSSFIRE HURRICANE
00:09:14TODAY, I WILL MAKE PUBLIC
00:09:16INITIAL EMAILS RELATED TO A
00:09:18CROSSFIRE SUB CASE.
00:09:22THE CASE INVOLVES AT LEAST THREE
00:09:27DISCREDITED FBI OFFICIALS THAT DEMOCRATS STILL TRY TO DEFEND.
00:09:33ONE, SPECIAL AGENT TEBO, THE
00:09:37ANTI-TRUMP KITCHEN -- CA
00:09:46MISCONDUCT.
00:09:47TWO, SPECIAL AGENTJUN, CARDENA
00:09:57WHO FILED REPORTEDLY A FALSE FISA.
00:09:58THREE, AGENT KEVIN UNO, WHO
00:10:03WANTED TO CRIMINALLY INVESTIGATE
00:10:04ELON MUSK FOR FACILITATING
00:10:09SENDING AND EMAIL ASKING FOR
00:10:12FIVE THINGS OFFICIALS ACCOMPLISHED THAT PARTICULAR
00:10:16WEEK, BY MAKING THAT -- I AM
00:10:20MAKING THAT EMAIL PUBLIC TODAY.
00:10:22THE RECORDS, GARDENA ASKS AT
00:10:29LEAST SEVEN TIMES VIA EMAIL AND
00:10:33ABOUT FOUR WEEKS TO PLACE HIMSELF ON THE CROSSFIRE TEAM
00:10:37AND START A NEW CASE ON TRUMP.
00:10:39AND HE DID SO WITH THE HELP OF
00:10:43TEBO.
00:10:47BASED ON THE RECORDS KNOWN TODAY, THAT CASE DID NOT ADVANCE.
00:10:50THESE RECORDS IN THE CASE THEY
00:10:52TRY TO OPEN ON SENATOR SINEMA
00:10:56UNDERCUT PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY A FORMER FBI OFFICIAL, AND THE
00:11:01AGENTS DO NOT GET TO PICK THEIR CASES.
00:11:04NOTABLY, HIS EFFORTS TO JOIN THE
00:11:06CROSSFIRE TEAM BEGAN AS EARLY AS
00:11:09JANUARY 2017, RIGHT BEFORE TRUMP
00:11:13TOOK OFFICE AND ON THE DAY OF
00:11:16TRUMP'S INAUGURATION, GARDENA
00:11:23EMAILED FBI AGENT JOE PAENKA, I
00:11:28WANT TO SHARE MY INTEREST AGAIN FOR JOINING THAT CASE.
00:11:31FOR ALMOST A DECADE NOW, I HAVE
00:11:32MADE RECORDS PUBLIC SHOWING HOW
00:11:37A NUMBER OF NOW DISCREDITED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE
00:11:42OFFICIALS SCHEMED TO TAKE OUT
00:11:47TRUMP AND OTHER REPUBLICANS.
00:11:49AND HERE WE ARE IN 2026, STILL
00:11:55FINDING RECORDS FROM YEARS AGO SHOWING EVEN MORE EVIDENCE OF
00:11:58THAT TARGETING.
00:12:02THE OVERALL SUSTAINED EFFORTS BY
00:12:03THE DEEP STATE IN THE DARK
00:12:06CORNERS OF THE BUREAUCRACY IS WORSE THAN ANYTHING TRUMP HAS
00:12:09BEEN ACCUSED OF.
00:12:11AT LEAST TRUMP IS UPFRONT AND
00:12:15OPEN SO PEOPLE CAN JUDGE.
00:12:18THE PREVIOUS DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS UNDER OBAMA AND
00:12:22BIDEN CONDUCTED SECRET,
00:12:26INSIDIOUS, AND DOWNRIGHT EVIL
00:12:30OPERATIONS THAT ALMOST TOOK DOWN OUR GOVERNMENT.
00:12:33THAT IS ARGUABLY WORSE THAN WATERGATE.
00:12:37WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT
00:12:39POINT, STARTING IN JULY 2022, I
00:12:43BEGAN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT
00:12:47OPERATION ROGUE RIVER -- ROUND
00:12:51RIVER, BASED ON WHISTLEBLOWER
00:12:53DISCLOSURES TO MY OFFICES.
00:12:55BASED ON ALLEGATIONS, ROUND
00:12:59RIVER WAS A FOREIGN INFLUENCE
00:13:00TASK FORCE OPERATION THAT, IN
00:13:05SOME CASES, FIRST SHUT DOWN
00:13:07SOURCES AND, SECONDLY, MARGINALIZED INFORMATION
00:13:11PROVIDED BY SOURCES ON FALSE
00:13:15ASSOCIATION OF RUSSIAN DISSIDENT
00:13:19INFORMATION. NOW, THIS HAPPENS TO BE THE VERY
00:13:22SAME DISCREDITED TASK FORCE THAT YOU HEAR -- THAT YOU WILL HEAR
00:13:27DEMOCRATS ATTACKING YOU, MR.
00:13:31PATEL, FOR TERMINATING.
00:13:36JUST LAST YEAR, SENATOR JOHNSON
00:13:37AND I RELEASED TWO FBI 1023
00:13:43DOCUMENTS. FOR THE RECORD, SUMMARIZED
00:13:46SOURCE REPORTING ABOUT ALLEGED BIDEN FAMILY CRIMINALITY, BASED
00:13:50ON INFORMATION PROVIDED SO FAR,
00:13:52IT APPEARS THE 1023'S WE
00:13:57RELEASED WERE INCLUDED IN ROUND RIVER.
00:14:01FOR THOSE IN THE PARTISAN MEDIA,
00:14:04I AM NOT DRAWING A CONCLUSION OF
00:14:08ALL THE RECORDS PROVIDED SO FAR.
00:14:11THE QUESTION PRESENTED IS
00:14:13WHETHER THE WRAY FBI FULLY
00:14:18INVESTIGATED ALL ALLEGATIONS OR SIMPLY SWEPT THEM UNDER THE RUG
00:14:22FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
00:14:26AND THE RECORDS FROM THE
00:14:28GOVERNMENT INCLUDE TOO MANY
00:14:32REDUCTIONS, FRUSTRATING OUR
00:14:35ABILITY TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS.
00:14:39REGARDING REDUCTIONS, MY OFFICE
00:14:42HAS BEEN INFORMED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FROM MULTIPLE
00:14:45GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT ONE OF
00:14:48YOUR EMPLOYEES, FBI EMPLOYEE,
00:14:55JODY PETERSON, IS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSTRUCTIONS ON
00:14:59MANY PRODUCTIONS, NOT JUST ON ROUND RIVER?
00:15:03IF TRUE, HER ACTIONS UNDERMINE
00:15:07YOUR AND THIS ADMINISTRATION'S HISTORIC EFFORTS TO BRING ABOUT
00:15:12TRANSPARENCY, AND I AM REFERRING
00:15:15TO THE PRESIDENTIAL
00:15:20DECLASSIFICATION SEO.
00:15:23SO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, NOT YOU NECESSARILY, MR. PATEL, SHOULD
00:15:27CHECK UP ON HOW JODI PETERSON IS
00:15:33NOT FOLLOWING TRUMP'S DECLASSIFICATION EXECUTIVE ORDER.
00:15:36RIGHT NOW, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT
00:15:41HOW YOUR PREDECESSORS AT THE FBI AND WITH FEDERAL RECORDS
00:15:46RETENTION IN ROUND RIVER. AS I NOTED AT YOUR LAST
00:15:49OVERSIGHT HEARING, PROHIBITED
00:15:54ACCESS FILES WERE USED IN CROSSFIRE HURRICANE.
00:15:59THAT TYPE OF FILE RESTRICTION
00:16:02MAKES DOCUMENTS EXTREMELY
00:16:04DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO
00:16:08LOCATE FOR PRODUCTION TO CONGRESS OR FOR YOU REQUESTERS
00:16:11-- OR FOIA REQUESTERS.
00:16:17SIMILAR QUESTIONS ABOUT ROUND RIVER. EXAMPLE, AN UNCLASSIFIED
00:16:20SENTENCE IN AN EMAIL FROM FBI
00:16:24SUPERVISOR SPECIAL AGENT MICHAEL TO LAUREL, A MEMBER OF THE NOW
00:16:29DISBANDED FOREIGN INFLUENCE TASK
00:16:31FORCE SAID, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE
00:16:35CLASSIFICATION CAVEATS, BUT OUR
00:16:40OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL HAS
00:16:41DIRECTED US TO CLASSIFY OUR WORK
00:16:46THIS WAY ON PAST EXPERIENCES
00:16:49WITH CROSSFIRE HURRICANE.
00:16:52IT APPEARS THE WRAY FBI
00:16:57INTENTIONALLY MISCLASSIFIED
00:16:59INFORMATION, MAKING MORE OBSTACLES TO OBTAINING ACCESS.
00:17:03THE FOREIGN INFLUENCE TASK FORCE
00:17:05WAS THE VERY SAME OUTFIT THAT
00:17:10GAVE ME AN SENATOR JOHNSON THAT
00:17:12FAMOUS FAKE BRIEFING USE TO
00:17:18UNDERMINE OUR BIDEN FAMILY INVESTIGATION IN 2020.
00:17:22DIRECTOR PATEL, YOU ARE RIGHT TO
00:17:28SHUT DOWN THE POLITICAL TASK FORCE.
00:17:33LASTLY, THROUGH PROTECTED WHISTLEBLOWER DISCLOSURES, HAVE
00:17:35OBTAINED CASE RECORDS ON PETER NAVARRO.
00:17:40I HAVE LONG SAID THE MANNER THAT
00:17:41THE WRAY FBI TREATED NAVARRO AT
00:17:46HIS ARREST WAS UNNECESSARY. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GLADLY TO
00:17:50SHOW UP JUST AS THE RESULT OF A PHONE CALL.
00:17:53THESE NEW RECORDS SHOW THE FBI
00:17:55MONITORED HIS APPEARANCE ON SEAN
00:18:00HANNITY'S FOX NEWS SHOW AND OTHER MEDIA.
00:18:02I OFFER THESE RECORDS FOR
00:18:04ADDITIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY ABOUT HIS CASE.
00:18:08DIRECTOR PATEL, AS I HAVE BEFORE
00:18:13, I ASSUME THE OTHER SIDE, DESPITE MANY OF THEIR OWN
00:18:18SHORTCOMINGS WHO PERSONALLY ATTACKED YOU, QUESTION YOUR
00:18:22ETHICS, TRUTHFULNESS, AND YOUR ABILITIES.
00:18:24DO NOT LET THAT AFFECT YOU, AND
00:18:26I HOPE WE CAN HAVE A REALLY GOOD
00:18:31DISCUSSION HERE.
00:18:34AND I WOULD ASK YOU IF, IF YOU
00:18:40GET TALKED OVER HER STUFF LIKE THAT, I WILL GIVE YOU TIME TO
00:18:43RESPOND SO YOU CAN DO IT IN A
00:18:46THOUGHTFUL MANNER. I HOPE YOU WILL BE A BETTER
00:18:48PERSON AND NOT RETURN THE FAVOR
00:18:51WITH PERSONAL ATTACKS, BUT SET
00:18:54THE RECORD, STATE THE FACTS WITH INFORMATION THAT WE AND THE
00:18:57PUBLIC APPRECIATE.
00:19:04>> THANKS, CHAIRMAN GRASSLEY, LET ME SAY AT THE OUTSET, THAT
00:19:07WE JUST HEARD AGAIN AN
00:19:09INTRODUCTION BY THE CHAIRMAN THAT GAVE REFERENCE TO CROSSFIRE HURRICANE.
00:19:14AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE IN
00:19:16THE HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF AND.
00:19:19OVER A YEAR AGO, ALL THE DEMOCRATS ON THIS COMMITTEE SAID
00:19:24STOP GIVING THESE SPEECHES AND BRING THE PEOPLE BEFORE US TO TESTIFY UNDER OATH.
00:19:29WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, JACK
00:19:31SMITH, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL WHO WAS A CONSTANT REFERENCE POINT
00:19:35WHEN IT COMES TO THIS GRAND CONSPIRACY, HAS VOLUNTEERED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR TO APPEAR
00:19:40BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE UNDER OATH AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
00:19:43WHAT MORE COULD WE ASK OF HIM?
00:19:46YET, THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THIS COMMITTEE REFUSES TO BRING
00:19:49HIM, PERHAPS IN A FEW WEEKS WHEN HE PROMISED HE WILL SHOW UP,
00:19:53THEY CAN START BY EXPLAINING WHY THEY WAITED A YEAR, IF WE ARE
00:19:57TALKING ABOUT A GRAND CONSPIRACY. JACK SMITH, SPECIAL COUNSEL, IS
00:20:01NOW -- WILL BE UNDER OATH BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE. EACH WILL HAVE A CHANCE AS
00:20:05PERTINENT QUESTIONS TO CLEAR THAT UP. FOR SOME REASON, THE DECISION
00:20:09WAS MADE AT SOME LEVEL TO LET THIS CONTROVERSY FASTER, RATHER
00:20:12THAN BRING THE PERSON WHO CAN ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
00:20:16THIS HEARING CANNOT COME AT A MORE IMPORTANT TIME.
00:20:1925 YEARS AFTER 9/11, THE
00:20:23DEADLIEST TERRORIST ATTACK IN HISTORY.
00:20:25THE FBI AT THAT POINT HAD TO
00:20:28IMMEDIATELY ADAPT TO A CHANGED WORLD.
00:20:30DO YOU REALIZE THAT ON 911, WHEN
00:20:33INFORMATION WAS GATHERED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TERRORISTS, IT WAS
00:20:36SENT TO THE UNITED STATES, NOT
00:20:41BY ANY EMAIL DEVICE OR ANY
00:20:43COMPUTER DEVICE, BUT HAND MAILED
00:20:46, BECAUSE THE FBI COMPUTER
00:20:48CAPABILITY ON 9/11 WAS BELOW THE
00:20:52EXPERTISE LEVEL OF RADIOSHACK, IT WAS THAT BAD.
00:20:56FROM MODERNIZING TECHNOLOGY TO INTEGRATING AGENTS AND ANALYSTS,
00:20:59THE BUREAU BUILT OUT
00:21:03CAPABILITIES AND DEVELOPED IMMENSE EXPERTISE ACROSS THE WORKFORCE AFTER THAT TERRIBLE
00:21:08EVENT 25 YEARS AGO.
00:21:09DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER LED THE
00:21:13FBI AT THIS TUMULTUOUS TIME. HE, MORE THAN ANY SINGLE
00:21:17INDIVIDUAL, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MODERNIZING THE FBI TO COMBAT
00:21:20THE THREATS WE FACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
00:21:22I WAS PROUD TO WORK WITH HIM ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS AND KNEW
00:21:26LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY. I CALLED HIM AND SAID WHAT I
00:21:30HEARD ABOUT THE RADIOSHACK COMPARISON, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE
00:21:33NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO
00:21:36MODERNIZE TECHNOLOGY. IF YOU WILL LEAD IN THAT AREA, I WILL TRY TO HELP.
00:21:39THAT IS WHAT WE DID. WE DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE, BUT I ALWAYS RESPECTED HIM.
00:21:43BOB MUELLER WAS A PATRIOT AND A
00:21:46PERSON OF HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. MODERNIZING THE FBI HAS NOT BEEN
00:21:50AN EASY PROCESS. BALANCING GROWING FOCUS ON
00:21:52NATIONAL SECURITY AND TERRORISM
00:21:56PREVENTION EFFORTS WITH TRADITIONAL WORK INVESTIGATING WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND
00:22:00CORRUPTION HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT.
00:22:03OVER THE YEARS, THE FBI HAS
00:22:04GAINED MORE AUTHORITY AT TIMES
00:22:09IN HISTORY MISUSED IT. THERE IS TO WORK TO BE DONE TO
00:22:12EARN PUBLIC TRUST AND ENSURE THE MOST POWERFUL FEDERAL
00:22:16INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY IN THE WORLD ONLY ENGAGES IN LAWFUL
00:22:20OPERATIONS.
00:22:23CONTINUING TO MEET NEW THREATS
00:22:25WHILE TACKLING THESE CHALLENGES REQUIRES STEADY COMMITTED
00:22:29LEADERSHIP FROM SOMEONE WHO
00:22:31UNDERSTANDS THE STAKES AND HAS THE HUMILITY TO LEAD AS A
00:22:34SERVANT OF THE PUBLIC, LIKE BOB MILLER.
00:22:38SADLY, FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE CURRENT DIRECTOR DOES NOT
00:22:41MEET THOSE STANDARDS.
00:22:42MR. PATEL IS THE LEAST QUALIFIED
00:22:46AND MOST PARTISAN FBI DIRECTOR IN OUR NATION HISTORY.
00:22:49HE DOES NOT HAVE THE JUDGMENT,
00:22:53EXPERIENCE, THEN DIRECTOR MUELLER. BEFORE HE WAS CONFIRMED, MR.
00:22:57PATEL FALSELY CLAIMED IN PUBLIC
00:22:59THAT THE FBI "WAS PLANNING
00:23:02JANUARY 6 FOR A YEAR."
00:23:05HE COMPILED AN ENEMIES LIST OF
00:23:08PUBLIC SERVANTS HE CALLED "GOVERNMENT GANGSTERS."
00:23:12HE PROMISED TO TARGET THEM IF HE
00:23:14WAS CONFIRMED AS HEAD OF THE FBI. DESPITE THE WARNINGS OF SENATE
00:23:19DEMOCRATS DURING HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING, OUR
00:23:22REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES CHOSE TO IGNORE THESE FACTS.
00:23:26THEY PROTEST PRESIDENT TRUMPS RETRIBUTION CAMPAIGN OVER THE
00:23:29SAFETY OF AMERICANS, AND THEY
00:23:32JOINED ON A PARTISAN BASIS CONFIRMING DIRECTOR PATEL TO LEAD THE FBI.
00:23:37UNDER MR. PATEL'S FAILED
00:23:40LEADERSHIP, DECADES OF EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE AND REFORM THE FBI
00:23:44ARE BEING UNDONE, AND THE BUREAU
00:23:47HAS BEEN RESHAPED AS A POLITICAL WEAPON AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
00:23:51POLITICAL ENEMIES AND A SHIELD
00:23:53TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
00:23:56MAGA ROYALISTS, NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. DIRECTOR PATEL HAS BEEN THE
00:24:00CENTRAL FIGURE PUSHING THE SO-CALLED GRAND CONSPIRACY,
00:24:03DIVERTING FBI RESOURCES TO
00:24:08INANE, DEBUNKED CONSPIRACY
00:24:10THEORIES THAT THE "DEEP STATE HAS BEEN TARGETING PRESIDENT
00:24:14TRUMP SINCE HIS FIRST CAMPAIGN."
00:24:16DEEP STATE IS CHARACTERIZED AS WORSE THAN WATERGATE, SECRET AND INSIDIOUS.
00:24:21YET, THE MAJORITY ON THIS COMMITTEE REFUSES TO CALL JACK
00:24:25SMITH, HIS SPECIAL COUNSEL, UNDER OATH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
00:24:29ABOUT THIS SO-CALLED GRAND CONSPIRACY.
00:24:32DIRECTOR PATEL IS ALSO WASTING
00:24:35FBI RESOURCES TO RELITIGATE THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
00:24:39HOW MANY TIMES DID NOMINEES WHO WERE JUDGES, RESPECTED
00:24:43PROFESSIONALS, PROFESSORS COME BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE AND REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE WITH
00:24:46EVERY EIGHTH-GRADER IN AMERICA
00:24:50KNOWS, PRESIDENT TRUMP LOST THE
00:24:522020 ELECTION TO JOE BIDEN BY 7 MILLION VOTES.
00:24:55THAT IS SIMPLE AND OBVIOUS, A MATTER OF FACT.
00:24:58YET, THESE NOMINEES REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT REALITY BECAUSE
00:25:01THIS IS PART OF THE GREAT CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT TRUMP
00:25:04NEVER LOSES ANYTHING.
00:25:08TO WEAPONIZE THE FBI AGAINST -- DIRECTOR PATEL HAS OVERSEEN A
00:25:12PURGE OF THOUSANDS, THOUSANDS OF
00:25:14LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, FROM ANALYSTS AND AGENTS TO THE MOST
00:25:18SENIOR LEADERSHIP, THE BUREAU HAS BEEN DEPRIVED OF TENS OF
00:25:21THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCE IN THESE AGENTS.
00:25:26DIRECTOR PATEL HAS INSTALLED MAGA LOYALISTS AS POLITICAL
00:25:30APPOINTEES IN KEY CAREER
00:25:31POSITIONS, AND HE IMPOSED
00:25:35LOYALTY TESTS, REQUIRING FBI OFFICIALS TO UNDERGO POLYGRAPHS
00:25:38TO SAY WHETHER THEY EVER CRITICIZED HIM.
00:25:40AT THE SAME TIME, THOUSANDS OF
00:25:43AGENTS HAVE BEEN REASSIGNED FROM THEIR PRIMARY CRIMINAL AND
00:25:46NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION TO
00:25:48IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, WITH
00:25:51THE NUMBER OF FBI PERSONNEL WORKING ON IMMIGRATION MATTERS
00:25:53INCREASING BY OVER 2000% AS OF
00:25:57LAST SEPTEMBER. LET ME ASK YOU, WHERE ARE THE
00:26:00WORST OF THE WORST?
00:26:03OVERWHELMINGLY, THE PEOPLE BEING DETAINED AND DEPORTED HAVE NO
00:26:06CRIMINAL RECORD WHATSOEVER.
00:26:07IN TOTAL, OVER 9000 FBI
00:26:12PERSONNEL, 25% OF THE BUREAU WORKED ON IMMIGRATION CASES
00:26:15BETWEEN JANUARY AND SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
00:26:17AS PART OF THIS SHIFT IN RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
00:26:20SHUT DOWN 23,000 CRIMINAL CASES
00:26:23IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
00:26:27TO REPLACE THESE CAREER PROFESSIONALS THEY PURGED,
00:26:30DIRECTOR PATEL HAS BEGUN WITH
00:26:33HIRING STANDARDS, AND TODAY WILL BE HIS OPPORTUNITY UNDER OATH TO
00:26:37ANSWER BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STANDARDS BEING USED FOR NEW FBI AGENTS.
00:26:41IN AN INTERVIEW IN JULY, HE
00:26:43CLAIMED THE FBI IS "LOSING TOO
00:26:46MANY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES," HIS
00:26:49WORDS," TO THE RIGORS AND
00:26:51REQUIREMENTS OF YESTERYEAR." WHAT ARE THOSE SO CALLED
00:26:55OBSOLETE REQUIREMENTS? ACCORDING TO A MEMO ISSUED IN
00:26:58JUNE, THE FBI HAS REMOVED FROM
00:27:01ITS LIST OF AUTOMATIC HIRING
00:27:05DISQUALIFICATIONS THEFT FROM AN EMPLOYER, SEX SOLICITATION, AND
00:27:08BEAST REALITY. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY,
00:27:12DIRECTOR PATEL IS TRYING TO TAKE
00:27:14CREDIT FOR THE SUCCESSFUL EXPERT -- EFFORTS OF STATE AND LOCAL
00:27:18LAW ENFORCEMENT TO REDUCE VIOLENT CRIME. THE REALITY IS THAT VIOLENT
00:27:22CRIME SPIKED DRINK OF A 19
00:27:23PANDEMIC AND HAS BEEN STEADILY,
00:27:27CONSISTENTLY DECLINING SINCE 2022. -- THE REALITY IS THAT VIOLENT
00:27:32CRIME INCREASED DURING THE
00:27:37PANDEMIC. LOOK AT THE DATA. CITIES WHERE THE NATIONAL GUARD
00:27:41OR OTHER FEDERAL FORCES WERE NOT
00:27:44DEPLOYED HAD A DROP IN VIOLENT
00:27:48CRIME SIMILAR TO CITIES WHERE THEY WERE DEPORTED. IT IS MISLEADING AND OFFENSIVE
00:27:52FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH HAS CODDLED JANUARY 6 RIOTERS,
00:27:56GIVING THEM FULL UNCONDITIONAL PARDONS FROM THE PRESIDENT, ONE
00:28:01OF HIS FIRST ACTS IN OFFICE. THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS MENDED
00:28:04THE -- ENDED THE CAREER OF THOUSANDS OF PROFESSIONAL FBI AGENT'S BECAUSE THEY DID NOT
00:28:09MEET SOME POLITICAL TEST AND BLOCKED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
00:28:12DOLLARS IN GRANTS TO LOCAL LAW
00:28:15ENFORCEMENT THAT IS NOT BACKING
00:28:19THE BLUE BY ANY STANDARD.
00:28:21IN FACT, THE CITIES WHERE
00:28:24FEDERAL FORCES WERE DEPLOYED EXPERIENCE WIDESPREAD ABUSES OF
00:28:27CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING
00:28:30MULTIPLE LETHAL SHOOTINGS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.
00:28:34THE FBI IS CHARGED WITH INVESTIGATING THE DEADLY USE OF
00:28:36FORCE BY FEDERAL AGENTS BUT HAS
00:28:39TURNED ITS BACK ON ITS DUTIES
00:28:41UNDER DIRECTOR PATEL. INSTEAD, THE DEPARTMENT OF
00:28:45HOMELAND SECURITY IS NOW THE PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR OF WHETHER
00:28:47ITS OWN POORLY VETTED AND TRAINED EMPLOYEES VIOLATED THE
00:28:51LAW DURING ILL-CONCEIVED MISSIONS.
00:28:54DIRECTOR PATEL HAS ALSO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE TRUMP
00:28:58ADMINISTRATION'S COVER UP OF THE EPSTEIN FILES. DIRECTOR PATEL DIVERTED MORE
00:29:02THAN 1000 FBI AGENTS FROM THEIR
00:29:05CRITICAL MISSIONS WORK ON
00:29:0924-HOUR SHIFTS REVIEWING EVERY
00:29:10PAGE OF THE EPSTEIN FILES.
00:29:13THESE PERSONNEL WERE WAS MEANT
00:29:18-- NAME WAS MENTIONED. THAT REVIEW ENDED IN AN UNSIGNED
00:29:23MEMORANDUM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND FBI SIMPLY
00:29:26CLAIMING, "THERE IS NO INCRIMINATING CLIENT LIST IN THE EPSTEIN FILES."
00:29:32DIRECTOR PATEL STILL HAS NOT RESPONDED TO OUR LETTER FOR MORE
00:29:36THAT A YEAR -- FROM MORE THAN A YEAR AGO ASKING ABOUT HIS
00:29:39PERSONAL ROLE IN THIS COVER-UP. BUT WE NOW KNOW THAT DIRECTOR
00:29:43PATEL REPORTEDLY JOINED IN A MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE
00:29:45SITUATION ROOM ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT FROM
00:29:49FALLOUT FROM THIS COVER-UP WITH THE EPSTEIN FILES.
00:29:52DIRECTOR PATEL FAILED TO ENSURE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
00:29:56ACTUALLY RECRUITED -- RELEASED
00:29:59AS THEY REQUIRED EVERYTHING ABOUT EPSTEIN AND HIS CO-CONSPIRATORS.
00:30:03THIS HAS COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO DESERVE
00:30:07TRANSPARENCY. IT HAS ALSO BEEN AT THE EXPENSE OF SURVIVORS OF EPSTEIN'S ABUSE,
00:30:12WHO DESERVE JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. TODAY, WE FIND OURSELVES IN A
00:30:16POSITION WHERE THE FBI IS
00:30:18EXPENDING IMMENSE RESOURCES TO PROJECT PRESIDENT TRUMP
00:30:21POLITICALLY AND DELIVER RETRIBUTION TO HIS ENEMIES.
00:30:24BUT HIS DIVERTING RESOURCES AWAY
00:30:25FROM PROTECTING THE SAFETY,
00:30:28SECURITY, AND RIGHTS OF ORDINARY AMERICANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
00:30:32MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS WILL LIKELY BE MY LAST FBI OVERSIGHT HEARING
00:30:35AS I AM LEAVING THE SENATE. I CAME OF AGE DURING THE 1960'S
00:30:39WHEN J EDGAR HOOVER, THE FBI
00:30:44LAWLESS HE TARGETED POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND LABOR LEADERS.
00:30:46I WAS PROUD TO BE PART OF BIPARTISAN EFFORTS OVER THAT
00:30:50MANY YEARS TO ENSURE THE FBI PROTECTED BOTH SECURITY AND
00:30:54FREEDOM FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. I'M DISAPPOINTED THIS COMMITTEE
00:30:57HAS STOOD BY IT SINCE JANUARY
00:31:002025 AS THAT WORK HAS BEEN UNDONE. I LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY HOPEFULLY IN THE VERY NEAR
00:31:04FUTURE WHEN THIS COMMITTEE WILL FULFILL ITS DUTY TO HOLD
00:31:07DIRECTOR PATEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU.
00:31:11CHAIR GRASSLEY: DIRECTOR PATEL,
00:31:13WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE
00:31:18SWEARING IN? DO YOU AFFIRM THAT THE TESTIMONY YOU ARE ABOUT TO GIVE BEFORE
00:31:21THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE THE
00:31:24TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, NOTHING
00:31:25BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOT?
00:31:30DIR. PATEL: I DO. CHAIR GRASSLEY: THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED.
00:31:34YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OPENING STATEMENT NOW.
00:31:37THEN A 10-MINUTE ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
00:31:41DIR. PATEL: GOOD MORNING.
00:31:43FOUR DAYS AGO OUR NATION MARK 25
00:31:46YEARS SINCE TERRORISTS ATTACKED OUR HOMELAND ON SEPTEMBER 11,
00:31:50TWO THOUSAND ONE, AND MURDERED 2009 HUNDRED 77 AND IS IN PEOPLE.
00:31:53AS A KID HE GREW UP ON LONG ISLAND, THIS RESONATED WITH ME.
00:31:5725 YEARS LATER, WE HONOR THE LIVES TAKEN THAT DAY, FIRST
00:32:01RESPONDERS, SURVIVORS, THOUSANDS OF FBI EMPLOYEES TO ANSWERED THE
00:32:06CALL A NEW YORK, THE PENTAGON, AND PENNSYLVANIA, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
00:32:1034 FBI EMPLOYEES THAT PERISHED AS A RESULT OF 9/11.
00:32:12OVER 18 MONTHS AGO DURING MY CONFIRMATION PROCESS, I TOLD YOU
00:32:16THE FBI NEEDED A FASTER, MORE
00:32:20EFFICIENT WAY TO ELIMINATE BUREAUCRACY AND REDUCE THE WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPLETELY.
00:32:26EMBRACE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ENGAGE WITH
00:32:29PARTNERS AND MOST PROBABLY, LET GOOD COPS BE COPS. UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMPS
00:32:33LEADERSHIP, WE HAVE NOT ONLY ACCELERATED THAT MISSION, WE HAVE DELIVERED.
00:32:36THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST PROLIFIC RUN OF CRIME REDUCTION IN THE
00:32:40UNITED STATES HISTORY, WITH THE HELP OF OUR GREAT PARTNERS,
00:32:44SINCE BEING IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
00:32:46A FEW NUMBERS BEHIND THESE STATS, LIVES SAVED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
00:32:50THE FBI HAS ARRESTED 54,000
00:32:55VIOLENT CRIME MOMENT --
00:32:57CRIMINALS, THAT IS UP 90% FROM
00:32:59THE 18 MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO THAT.
00:33:02THAT IS MAKING AMERICA SAFE. 31 THOUSAND VIOLENT GANG MEMBERS
00:33:05HAVE BEEN ARRESTED BY THE FBI, THAT IS UP 30%, MAKING AMERICA
00:33:10SAFE. WE HAVE REMOVED THE FBI -- THE
00:33:14FBI REMOVED 3258 KILOGRAMS OF
00:33:18FENTANYL, ENOUGH TO KILL A QUARTER BILLION AMERICANS.
00:33:21THAT SEIZURE IS UP 8% BY THE FBI, THAT IS MAKING AMERICA SAFE.
00:33:26WE HAVE LOCATED, FOUND, AND
00:33:29IDENTIFIED 11,081 CHILD VICTIMS.
00:33:32THAT IS UP 21%. THAT IS MAKING AMERICA SAFE.
00:33:36THIS FBI HAS FOUND AND LOCATED
00:33:38MORE CHILDREN THAN ANY FBI IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY.
00:33:41WE HAVE ARRESTED 5072 CHILD
00:33:45PREDATORS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKERS. THAT IS UP 13%.
00:33:48THIS FBI IS MAKING AMERICA SAFE.
00:33:51WE COME OF THIS FBI, HAVE ARRESTED 4002 HUNDRED 60 FOREIGN
00:33:56TERRORIST ORGANIZATION MEMBERS,
00:33:59UP 38%, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT
00:34:02THIS FBI HAS STOPPED 1100
00:34:07CRIMINAL PERPETRATORS FROM COMMITTING TERRORIST ATTACKS ON U.S. SOIL.
00:34:11THIS FBI HAS EXECUTED 86 FOREIGN
00:34:13TRANSFERS OF CUSTODY, WITH 54%
00:34:17INCREASE FOR PERPS CAPTURED OVERSEAS, AND WE HAVE EXTRADITED
00:34:20157 CRIMINALS FROM OVERSEAS, A
00:34:2465% INCREASE IN JUST THESE LAST 18 MONTHS.
00:34:27IN 2025, ACCORDING TO THE
00:34:30UNIFORM CRIME REPORT, WE DELIVERED THE LARGEST REDUCTION IN THE MURDER RATE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA.
00:34:36WE, THE FBI, CAPTURED MORE THAN
00:34:382.5 TIMES THE NUMBER THE TOP 10
00:34:41MOST WANTED FUGITIVES ON THE FBI'S LIST FROM THE PRIOR
00:34:45ADMINISTRATION. IN FACT, I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE
00:34:48TODAY, AND I HATE TO CORRECT YOU, WE HAVEN'T CAPTURED NINE OF
00:34:51THE TOP 10 MOST WANTED
00:34:53INDIVIDUALS ON OUR LIST, WE HAVE CAPTURED 10.
00:34:56THIS WE CAN, WE CAPTURED A THUG IN VENEZUELA SHE WAS ON OUR MOST
00:35:00WANTED LIST AND ON THE RUN FOR YEARS. HE HAS BEEN CAPTURED,
00:35:03APPREHENDED, AND ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE UNITED STATES.
00:35:05THAT IS 10 OF 10. NOBODY IN HISTORY HAS DONE THAT.
00:35:10THIS YEAR IS JUST ANOTHER
00:35:12EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS FBI IS
00:35:15CAPTURING LITERALLY THE WORST OF THE WORST ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
00:35:17ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE CAPTURED SIX OF THE MOST WANTED
00:35:21FRAUDSTERS AROUND THE WORLD. TAKING THE MURDER RATE DOWN 20
00:35:24POINTS IS NO EASY EFFORT.
00:35:26IT REQUIRES A TEAM LIFT, STATE, LOCAL, AND INTERNATIONAL
00:35:30PARTNERS. THIS INCLUDES RESULTS IN CITIES
00:35:33LIKE BALTIMORE, WHICH REACHED
00:35:36THE LOWEST MIDYEAR HOMICIDE NUMBERS IN RECORDED HISTORY THIS YEAR.
00:35:39IN MEMPHIS, WE ACCOMPLISHED A
00:35:4250% REDUCTION AND HOMICIDE, FOR
00:35:44US TO DO THE HEAD OF THE COUNTRY
00:35:48, THANKS TO THE PRESIDENT'S TASK FORCE. RIGHT HERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
00:35:52WE ARE ON TRACK TO HAVE THE LOWS HOMICIDE NUMBERS SINCE 1990.
00:35:56THESE EVENTS ARE NOT BY ACCIDENT. THE SUCCESS MEANS THAT THIS FBI
00:35:59HAS MADE MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
00:36:03THAN EVER, AND I'M PROUD TO MEET -- LEAD THE AGENCY.
00:36:06WHILE DOING THIS GREAT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE FBI
00:36:10PREPARED FOR THE LARGEST INFLUX
00:36:11OF TOURISTS, BETWEEN THE CLUB
00:36:14WORLD CUP, TWO F1 RACES, PROTECTED 300,000 AMERICANS IN
00:36:17THE OLYMPICS, AND THEN ACROSS 60
00:36:21AMERICA 250 EVENTS THIS YEAR
00:36:25ALONE, WE WELCOMED OVER 12 MILLION VISITORS TO THE S -- TO
00:36:28THE U.S. TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS. NOT ONE SINGLE SECURITY INCIDENT
00:36:32OCCURRED AT ANY SINGLE ONE OF THESE EVENTS. NO NATE -- NO MAJOR SECURITY
00:36:36INCIDENTS. WITH OUR PARTNERS, THIS IS HOW WE KEEP AMERICA SAFE.
00:36:39THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE
00:36:43BACK THE BLUE AND THIS NEW FBI HAS BEEN REBUILT TO CRUSH VIOLENT CRIME.
00:36:46THESE ARE IMPORTANT CHANGES --
00:36:50IMPORTANT RESULTS THAT HAPPENED DUE TO IMPORTANT CHANGES.
00:36:52THE CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS. WE ESTABLISHED FOR THE FIRST OF
00:36:55THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNER COUNCIL, PUTTING 1000 AGES BACK
00:36:58INTO THE FIELD AND MORE THAN 200
00:37:01ADDITIONAL INTEL INTO THE FIELD
00:37:03AND SET OF WASHINGTON, D.C., AND BOLSTERED SYSTEMS. WE HEADED FOR THE FIRST TIME
00:37:08EVER 2750 TASK FORCE OFFICERS TO
00:37:12THE FBI, PUTTING TRAINED MEN AND WOMEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT RIGHT
00:37:16IN OUR OFFICES.
00:37:18WE CREATED THE JOINT MISSION
00:37:21CENTER TO TURN INTELLIGENCE INTO ACTION AGAINST POLITICAL
00:37:24VIOLENCE AND DOMESTIC TERRORISM, FINALLY UNITING 10 AGENCIES FOR
00:37:27THE FIRST TIME. THAT J FC HOUSED BY THIS FBI HAS
00:37:30ALREADY ARRESTED MORE THAN 200
00:37:32INDIVIDUALS, LEADING TO 200 50 ENTICEMENTS.
00:37:36WE BUILT THE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INFORMATION CENTER, OUR FIRST-EVER JOINT OPERATIONS
00:37:40CENTER THAT MODERNIZE THE FBI, SHARING RAPID INTELLIGENCE THAT
00:37:43USED TO TAKE HOURS, NOW LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.
00:37:46WE ESTABLISHED THE VIOLENT
00:37:47EXTREMIST FUSION CENTER TO BRING
00:37:50OUR COUNTERTERRORISM CHILD EXPLOITATION EXPERTS TO TARGET
00:37:54ONLINE PREDATORS WHO ARE PRAYING ON OUR CHILDREN. THIS FBI HAS ARRESTED 500
00:37:58PERCENT MORE PREDATORS ON LINE IN THIS LAST 18 MONTHS THAN THE
00:38:01PRIOR 18 MONTHS BEFORE THAT.
00:38:03THROUGH OUR 59 HOMELAND SECURITY
00:38:05TASK FORCES, WE HAVE THE FIRST PRESENCE OF ITS KIND ACROSS THE
00:38:09NATION TO BRING OUR STATE, LOCAL, FEDERAL, AND INTEL
00:38:12PARTNERS INTO ONE LOCATION ACROSS THIS COUNTRY TO REPRESENT EVERY SINGLE STATE.
00:38:17THESE ARE REAL-WORLD CHANGES.
00:38:21WE SAW GREAT THREATS TO OUR NATION.
00:38:23WE AND THIS FBI LED THE EFFORT
00:38:25TO DISRUPT MANY PLOTS, TO INCLUDE EXTREMISTS WHO WANTED TO
00:38:29KILL ELECTED OFFICIALS, CIVILIANS, AND MILITARY MEMBERS
00:38:32AT THE WHITE HOUSE UFC FREEDOM 250 EVENT.
00:38:36WE STOPPED AT. WE ARRESTED FIVE INDIVIDUALS
00:38:39LAST YEAR, PUNK AND A PLOT IN MICHIGAN, HE WANTED TO BLOW UP
00:38:43PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN FROM THREE SEPARATE STATES.
00:38:47DURING A SINGLE MONTH, HOLIDAY MONTH OF DECEMBER LAST YEAR,
00:38:51THIS FBI STOPPED FOUR TERRORIST ATTACKS IN CALIFORNIA, TEXAS,
00:38:54NORTH CAROLINA, AND PENNSYLVANIA. SEPARATE TERRORIST ATTACKS WERE STOPPED.
00:39:00JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, THIS FBI STOPPED ANOTHER ISIS INSPIRED
00:39:04ATTACK IN PITTSBURGH, ARRESTING AN INDIVIDUAL BEFORE HE WAS ABLE
00:39:07TO GO OUT AND KILL INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN THE NAME OF ISIS.
00:39:11THESE ATTACKS DID NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT PARTNERS WORKING AROUND
00:39:15THE CLOCK, FINDING THREATS AND STOPPING THEM. IMPROVING TECHNOLOGY IS
00:39:18SOMETHING DEEPLY IMPORTANT TO ME. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE HAVE
00:39:23EXPANDED OUR OVERSEAS BIOMETRIC COLLECTION EFFORTS WITH FOREIGN
00:39:26PARTNERS TO INTERCEPT TARGETS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.
00:39:29MORE FACIAL RECOGNITION, MORE IRIS SCANS, MORE INFORMATION
00:39:32ABOUT PREDATORS AND PEOPLE AND CRIMINALS WHO WISH TO DO US HARM
00:39:34AND STOP THEM BEFORE THEY CAN DO THAT.
00:39:37ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WHEN USED APPROPRIATELY UNDER THE PARAMETERS OF THE LAW, WHEN I
00:39:41GOT TO THIS SEAT, THE FBI HAD TWO TEST USE CASES FOR
00:39:45ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SPIRIT
00:39:47WE JUST HIT OUR 140TH.
00:39:52IT IS TO ANALYZE AND GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO OUR PARTNERS.
00:39:56RECENTLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FBI WAS MANDATED BY
00:39:59CONGRESSIONAL STATUTE TO HAVE A
00:40:01ZERO SAMPLE BACKLOG AT OUR DNA LABORATORY IN QUANTICO.
00:40:05OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THAT
00:40:06NUMBER GREW TO 148 MILLION
00:40:09BACKLOG, IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL STATUTE. I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE AS OF
00:40:12JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE HAVE
00:40:14ZERO DOUBT THAT BACKLOG I AND
00:40:17USE TECHNOLOGY, AI, AND IMPROVED EQUIPMENT TO CAPTURE THESE DNA
00:40:21PROFILES, PUT THEM IN THE DATABASE, AND ALLOW LAW
00:40:24ENFORCEMENT'S TO GET AFTER THEM IN.
00:40:26WE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST EVER COUNTER TRAINING CENTER IN
00:40:31ALABAMA TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MODERN THREAT THAT THE ADVERSARY USES TO HARM OUR WAY OF LIFE IS
00:40:35COUNTERMANDED BY STATE AND LOCALS, NO FBI EVER BUILT A SCHOOL HOUSE FOR THAT.
00:40:39WE DID. WE HAVE TRAINED HUNDREDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHICH WE
00:40:42DEPLOYED ACROSS THE WORLD CUP TO
00:40:45INTERDICT 750 DRONES OVER 11
00:40:48MILIEUX ACROSS THE 38 DAYS. THAT IS 78 SUPER BOWLS AND 38
00:40:52DAYS, TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE,
00:40:54AND ON A MAJOR SECURITY INCIDENT.
00:40:58CYBER STAT, FIRST OF ITS KIND BY THE PRESIDENT, WAS ISSUED.
00:41:00UNDER THAT, THE FBI DID
00:41:04OPERATION WINTER SHIELD AND RIPTIDE FOR CYBER CRIMINALS.
00:41:08WE LAUNCH 13 JOINT OPERATIONS
00:41:10RESULTING IN 200 ARRESTS, SIX X
00:41:13TRADITIONS, AND MILLIONS IN FROZEN ASSETS.
00:41:16AND TOOK DOWN MILLIONS OF NETWORKS ON THE DARK WEB.
00:41:19MORE ACCOUNTABILITY IS COMING THROUGH THIS FBI.
00:41:22WE SAVED IT 300 MILLION DOLLARS
00:41:26IN TAXPAYER FUNDING BY SCUTTLING DUPLICATE OF CONTRACTS. AS I PROMISED DURING MY
00:41:31CONFIRMATION, THE SHIFT IS OUTSIDE OF D.C., INTO THE
00:41:34HEARTLAND OF AMERICA, NOT REDUCE
00:41:36THE FOOTPRINT BY ONE THIRD IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
00:41:39AND WE WILL CONTINUE THAT EFFORT. IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY, AS YOU
00:41:42KNOW, I AM COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY. IN THE FIRST 18 MONTHS, WE
00:41:46SHARED NEARLY 50,000 PAGES OF DOCUMENTS WITH THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
00:41:50TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT
00:41:52IS A 350 PERCENT INCREASE FROM
00:41:55THE PRIOR TWO DIRECTORS COMBINED IN 11 YEARS.
00:41:58FOREIGN ENGAGEMENTS ARE A CRITICAL PART OF THIS FBI'S MISSION. THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
00:42:02LEADERSHIP, THE FBI IS ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS
00:42:06DIRECTLY MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. I HAVE SINGLE-HANDEDLY LED MORE
00:42:09FOREIGN ENGAGEMENTS AND THE LAST 18 MONTHS THAN ANY OTHER FBI DIRECTOR.
00:42:13SINCE I TOOK OVER, I HAVE MADE
00:42:15OVER 100 CALLS TO MY FOREIGN
00:42:22COUNTERPARTS.
00:42:24THE LAST THREE AND HALF YEARS OF PREDECESSORS, THEY MAY 20.
00:42:27BECAUSE OF THIS ENGAGEMENT, IT DIRECTLY LEAD TO THE EXECUTION AND TRANSFER OF 86 FOREIGN
00:42:30TRANSFER CUSTODY'S, EXECUTED OVERSEAS.
00:42:33MEANING 86 VIOLENT OFFENDERS, CRIMINALS, TERRORIST, NARCO
00:42:37TRAFFICKERS, GETTING BIG YEARS, AND CHILDREN PREDATORS WERE
00:42:41BROUGHT HERE FOR PROSECUTION. AND THERE WERE X TRADITIONS OF
00:42:44INDIVIDUALS HOUSED OVERSEAS, CAPTURED BY THIS FBI -- THERE
00:42:47WERE EXTRADITIONS.
00:42:52THE SUBJECTS ARE LITERALLY THE WORST OF THE WORST.
00:42:56YOU HAVE TO PICK UP THE PHONE TO CALL YOUR PARTNERS.
00:42:59SOMETHING DEEPLY IMPORTANT TO ME
00:43:04, OPERATION STEADFAST PROMISES THE LARGEST EVER SEARCH TO AN
00:43:07INDIAN COUNTRY ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. WE HAVE ALMOST 500 FBI IN PLACE
00:43:12DEDICATED TO THIS MISSION ALONE. WITH SO LAUNCHED VOICE IS NOT
00:43:17FORGOTTEN. IF YOU ARE A MISSING PERSON, VICTIM, HAVE INFORMATION
00:43:21REGARDING THE MOST HIGH-PROFILE
00:43:23CASES, THIS FBI QUADRUPLED THE
00:43:26REWARD TO AT LEAST $25,000, AND IT WILL BE A CONTINUING PROGRAM.
00:43:30WE HAVE INVESTIGATED MORE AND OPEN MORE INDIAN COUNTRY
00:43:34INVESTIGATIONS TO THE LAST 18 MONTHS IN ANY FBI. WE OPEN UP THE BILLINGS,
00:43:38MONTANA, FIELD OFFICE TO ADD RESOURCES TO THE FIELD, FIRST
00:43:41TIME WE HAVE OPENED UP A NEW FIELD OFFICE IN THE FBI, ALONG
00:43:44WITH THE NEW FIELD OFFICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NEW ZEALAND.
00:43:48FOR THE FIRST TIME, THIS FBI HAS
00:43:54FULL LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTACHÉ OFFICES ACROSS ALL FIVE PARTNERSHIPS, THE MOST IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE SHARING THEIR'S.
00:43:58THE MEN AND WOMEN AT THIS FBI ARE DELIVERING, STOPPING
00:44:01TERRORIST ATTACKS, SECURING
00:44:03MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS, DEFENDING
00:44:06CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND
00:44:08REBUILDING THIS INSTITUTION AROUND ONE STAT, PUTTING THE MISSION FIRST.
00:44:11THE SUPPORT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD, AND WE
00:44:14WILL NEVER STOP WORKING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THANK YOU.
00:44:18CHAIR GRASSLEY: THANK YOU. NOW WE HAVE 10 MINUTES, TIME FOR
00:44:21EACH MEMBER.
00:44:25IN APRIL, 2026, I WROTE EIGHT MAJOR INTERNET COMPANIES TO
00:44:29ENSURE ENOUGH DATA WAS RECEIVED
00:44:35TO HOLD ONLINE CHILD PREDATORS ACCOUNTABLE.
00:44:39MICMAC INFORMED ME LAST MONTH THAT SEVERAL COMPANIES HAD
00:44:43SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THEIR
00:44:47CHILD SAFETY REPORTING.
00:44:47THE FBI HAS ASSIGNED PERSONNEL
00:44:54TO REVIEW ONLINE REPORTS.
00:44:57WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN THESE COMPANIES MAKE SO THAT THE FBI
00:45:00CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY TURN THE
00:45:04TABLES AND KNOCKED ON PREDATORS? DIR. PATEL: THANK YOU FOR YOUR
00:45:08WORK. PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN IS ONE
00:45:11OF THE GREATEST GOALS WE HAVE.
00:45:14THEY ARE A LEADING PARTNER.
00:45:16THANKS TO YOUR OUTREACH, THESE
00:45:19COMPANIES, LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES, BEHIND YOUR CALLS -- I CALLED THEM, AS WELL.
00:45:23WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS ALLOWED AS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR
00:45:27INTELLIGENCE AND DATABASES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AND IN A
00:45:30SECURE FASHION, SPECIFICALLY TO
00:45:33MANHUNT CHILD PREDATORS AND FIND MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN.
00:45:37AS I STATED, WE HAVE FOUND AND
00:45:38LOCATED OVER 11,000 CHILDREN, UP
00:45:4220-SOME PERCENT. THANK YOU FOR THAT JOLT IN THE
00:45:44ARM THAT WAS NEEDED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND WE WILL
00:45:48CONTINUE TO EXPAND THOSE ENGAGEMENTS AND WORK WITH
00:45:51CONGRESS ON LEGISLATION SO THIS
00:45:54CONTINUOUS FLOW OF DATA CAN COME IN LEGALLY AND LAWFULLY AND LAW
00:45:57ENFORCEMENT CAN USE IT. CHAIR GRASSLEY: SINCE THAT IS A
00:46:00PRIORITY, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR TEAM UPDATE ME IF THERE ARE
00:46:03COMPANIES THAT CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO PROVIDE THE DATA
00:46:07NECESSARY TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN
00:46:11ONLINE. DIR. PATEL: I WILL. CHAIR GRASSLEY: DEPARTMENT OF
00:46:15HOMELAND SECURITY HAS PRODUCED TO MY OFFICE LETTERS OF
00:46:19RECOMMENDATION FOR TWO AFGHAN
00:46:22EVACUEES PLACED IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE BIDEN
00:46:26ADMINISTRATION. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
00:46:29HAS CONFIRMED IN WRITING THAT THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO
00:46:33SIGNS THE LETTERS WAS MORGAN KILLINGTON.
00:46:38ACCORDING TO EMAILS, KILLINGTON
00:46:42IS NOT A REAL PERSON.
00:46:45THE AFGHAN EVACUEES CHARGED WITH SHOOTING TWO WEST VIRGINIA
00:46:48NATIONAL GUARDSMEN, AND THE
00:46:52AFGHAN EVACUEES CHARGED WITH
00:46:53FUNDING ISIS-K RECEIVED THOSE
00:46:58LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. CLEARLY, THIS IS A SIGN OF
00:47:02FAILED VETTING. IS THE FBI PERFORMING ONGOING
00:47:05REVIEWS TO ENSURE THAT KNOWN OR
00:47:08SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DID NOT SLIP INTO OUR COUNTRY OR
00:47:13OTHERWISE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BARRED FROM ENTRY?
00:47:18WHAT HAS THE FBI FOUND UP-TO-DATE?
00:47:21DIR. PATEL: WE ARE WORKING WITH
00:47:23OUR PARTNERS AT DHS ON THIS MISSION ON VETTING.
00:47:27WE ARE PROVIDING ALL OF OUR
00:47:29INTELLIGENCE THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED ON THESE INDIVIDUALS
00:47:33EVERY TIME WE ENCOUNTER THEM AT THE BORDER. THE NUMBERS OF KNOWN OR
00:47:37SUSPECTED TERRORISTS ENCOUNTERED AT THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
00:47:40BORDER HAVE DROPPED, THANKS TO THE SECURITIZATION DIVISION OF
00:47:43THE SOUTHERN BORDER AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DHS ON THE
00:47:47NORTHERN BORDER. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
00:47:50INTEL PARTNERS TO REACH BACK AND
00:47:52ANALYZE THE OPERATION AFTER THE DISASTROUS WITHDRAWAL FROM
00:47:56AFGHANISTAN AND CONTINUE TO VET THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE SURE
00:47:58WE NEVER HAVE A TRAGIC TERRORIST
00:48:01ATTACK LIKE WE WITNESSED DURING THE HEART OF WASHINGTON, D.C., LAST YEAR.
00:48:05CHAIR GRASSLEY: AT LAST YEAR'S
00:48:07OVERSIGHT HEARING, I RAISED
00:48:10CONCERNS ABOUT FBI FILES BEING
00:48:14HIT IT BY WHAT IS CALLED
00:48:15PROHIBITIVE ACCESS AND
00:48:19RESTRICTED ACCESS CASES, LAST YEAR YOU PRODUCED RECORDS FOUND
00:48:22IN THESE TYPES OF CASES WHICH
00:48:24YOU HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF.
00:48:29PLEASE UPDATE THE COMMITTEE ON THE STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN TO
00:48:32ENSURE THESE TYPES OF RECORDS
00:48:35ARE DISCOVERABLE AND THAT RECORDS CANNOT BE HIDDEN FROM
00:48:39CONGRESS, FROM THE COURTS, OR
00:48:41FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDER
00:48:44FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
00:48:46DIR. PATEL: PROHIBITIVE CASES
00:48:49WERE CREATED FOR THAT PURPOSE,
00:48:52TO EVADE TRANSPARENCY AND PROMULGATION OF FBI RECORDS THAT
00:48:54SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE AND CONSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT.
00:48:58WE SIMPLY DID THE FOLLOWING. I ELIMINATED PROHIBITIVE CASES.
00:49:02THERE ARE NO MORE AT THE FBI.
00:49:04BECAUSE WE WORK TOGETHER NOT
00:49:07ONLY WITH INTERAGENCY PARTNERS BUT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
00:49:10TO INFORM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, WHEN THE LAW ALLOWS IT, TO
00:49:14PRODUCE RECORD SO YOU CAN CONDUCT CONSTITUTIONAL
00:49:18OVERSIGHT. PROHIBITIVE CASES NO LONGER EXISTS.
00:49:21CLASSIFIED PROHIBITIVE, THAT LABEL HAS BEEN REMOVED IN THAT
00:49:25DEPARTMENT PATIENT ON BANDIT -- DISBANDED.
00:49:27AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE
00:49:30RECORDS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE -- THAT USED TO BE CLASSIFIED TO
00:49:34KEEP THINGS SECRET. CHAIR GRASSLEY: I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW ROUND RIVER RECORDS
00:49:39RESTORED, MANAGED, AND CLASSIFIED.
00:49:43ROUND RIVER WAS THE OPERATION THAT SHUT DOWN CERTAIN
00:49:46GOVERNMENT SOURCES REGARDING THE
00:49:48BIDEN FAMILY, WITH APPARENTLY NO JUSTIFICATION.
00:49:51FOR EXAMPLE, SOME RECORDS INCLUDED BANNER MARKINGS WITH
00:49:55ROUND RIVER AS A CLASSIFICATION
00:49:59CODE, THAT IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL, IF
00:50:04NOT OUTRIGHT IMPROPER.
00:50:07THAT THIS COULD HAVE A ROUND RIVER CLASSIFICATION.
00:50:10WHAT STEPS HAVE YOU TAKEN TO INVESTIGATE ANY IMPROPER
00:50:15CLASSIFICATION OF ROUND RIVER
00:50:17RECORDS AND HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE? DIR. PATEL: THANKS TO YOUR
00:50:21REFERRAL AND SHEDDING LIGHT ON THIS, WE LOOKED AT THE
00:50:24CLASSIFICATION PROCESSES
00:50:25SURROUNDING THIS COMPARTMENT
00:50:29CALLED ROUND RIVER. WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO
00:50:34FBI POLICY TO SUBSTANTIATE SUCH A CLASSIFICATION AND THAT WAS BASICALLY MADE UP.
00:50:38NOW WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF, WE ARE COMMITTED TO
00:50:41CONTINUING TO PRODUCE, ON TOP OF THE NEARLY 2000 PAGES OF
00:50:44DOCUMENTS ON ROUND RIVER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTS AROUND THAT.
00:50:49AND WE ARE CONDUCTING AN
00:50:50INTERNAL INVESTIGATION ON THE
00:50:53INDIVIDUALS WHO LAUNCHED AND CODIFIED THIS FALSE AND FAKE
00:50:58COMPARTMENT. CHAIR GRASSLEY: OK.
00:50:59ACCORDING TO AN AUGUST 2026
00:51:03JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT, FBI OFFICIALS
00:51:08DURING RAY'S TENURE RETALIATED
00:51:12AGAINST AN FBI EMPLOYEE NAMED JACOB MERCER.
00:51:16THESE FBI OFFICIALS ARE STILL EMPLOYED.
00:51:27>> CAN YOU HEAR ME?
00:51:30CHAIR GRASSLEY: HOLD RETAIL LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR
00:51:33VIOLATION OF LAW, AND IF NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, WILL YOU COMMIT
00:51:36TO UPDATING THE COMMITTEE ON
00:51:40ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES? DIR. PATEL: THAT IS IN THE
00:51:44MIDDLE OF AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION. AS SOON AS I AM ABLE TO UPDATE
00:51:47THE COMMITTEE, I WILL DO SO. CHAIR GRASSLEY: SO YOU CANNOT
00:51:51COMMENT FURTHER? DIR. PATEL: NOT AT THIS TIME, SIR.
00:51:59CHAIR GRASSLEY: THE SAFER SKIES ACT GRANTED LONG-OVERDUE
00:52:03AUTHORITY TO STATE AND LOCAL LAW
00:52:04ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO PROTECT
00:52:08THEIR COMMUNITIES FROM MALICIOUS DRONES.
00:52:10AS OF JULY 1, THE FBI HAD
00:52:14CERTIFIED 46 ELIGIBLE AGENCIES
00:52:18TO CONDUCT DRONE MITIGATION,
00:52:22TRAINING A MAXIMUM OF 16 OFFICERS PER MONTH.
00:52:28WE CANNOT GET OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY'S CERTIFIED
00:52:29TO USE THESE AUTHORITIES FAST
00:52:33ENOUGH. WHAT IS THE FBI DOING TO EXPAND
00:52:36AND EXPEDITE THE COUNTER DRONE
00:52:41TRAINING CAPACITY FOR ELIGIBLE STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES?
00:52:45DIR. PATEL: THE STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS ARE CRITICAL TO COMBAT
00:52:48THE COUNTER OF DRONE ISSUES, BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDED
00:52:52NO TRAINING OR ACCESS AT ANY LEVEL. SO THE FBI WILL HAVE THE
00:52:57FIRST-EVER SCHOOL IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA.
00:53:00WE HAVE TRAINED OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN A
00:53:04TWO-WEEK CLASSICAL'S CONTINUOUSLY.
00:53:06WE ONLY POSITED FOR THE WORLD CUP SO WE COULD HAVE ALL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD.
00:53:10WE HAVE ASKED FOR CONGRESS TO INCREASE FUNDING SO WE CAN
00:53:14TRIPLE THE SIZE OF THAT SCHOOL, ALLOWING MORE STATE AND LOCAL
00:53:17OFFICERS TO WORK WITH US AND DEPLOY THEM LIKE WE DID DURING
00:53:20THE WORLD CUP ON THE GROUND
00:53:22INTERCEPT TEAMS ON 11 SEPARATE
00:53:25VENUES AND TAKE DONE 700 50 DRONES.
00:53:28WE NEED MORE EQUIPMENT, TECH, MORE BODIES TRAINED.
00:53:32CHAIR GRASSLEY: FOR ALMOST A
00:53:34DECADE, EXPOSED POLITICAL WEAPONIZATION DURING CROSSFIRE
00:53:39HURRICANE, AND YOU HAVE, AS
00:53:43WILL, PRESIDENT ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER IN EACH OF HIS
00:53:48ADMINISTRATION MANDATING
00:53:52DECLASSIFICATION OF CROSSFIRE HURRICANE RECORDS.
00:53:55PLEASE DESCRIBE THE STEPS YOU HAVE TAKEN TO ENSURE FULL
00:53:59DECLASSIFICATION AND WHETHER
00:54:01OTHER AGENCIES, LIKE THE CIA,
00:54:05HAVE CREATED A ROBOT --
00:54:08ROADBLOCKS FOR THIS DECLASSIFICATION.
00:54:10THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION.
00:54:13DIR. PATEL: CROSSFIRE HURRICANE DECLASSIFICATION AT THE FBI, AT
00:54:16LEAST WHAT IS UNDER MY CONTROL, HAS BEEN FULLY DECLASSIFIED.
00:54:19THERE IS SOME INFORMATION IN THERE THAT I DO NOT CONTROL
00:54:23BECAUSE WE DO NOT OWN IT. BUT WE HAVE VIGOROUSLY WORKED
00:54:28WITH INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE PARTNERS TO DECLASSIFY AND HAVE
00:54:31PRODUCED THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF CROSSFIRE DOCUMENTATION TO CONGRESS EVER.
00:54:34AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN.
00:54:40SEN. DURBIN: MR. PATEL, ONE YEAR AGO, MY HOME STATE OF ILLINOIS
00:54:44WAS EXPERIENCING THE BEGINNING OF A WORTHLESS, RECKLESS, DEADLY
00:54:49CAMPAIGN ORCHESTRATED BY THIS
00:54:52ADMINISTRATION KNOWN AS MIDWAY BLITZ.
00:54:55MASKED FEDERAL AGENTS ARMED WITH
00:54:57MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS AND UNMARKED VEHICLES DESCENDED ON
00:55:01CHICAGO AND OTHER COMMUNITIES,
00:55:02BASHING AND CAR WINDOWS, INDISCRIMINATELY ROUNDING UP
00:55:07PEOPLE, DEPLOYING CHEMICAL AGENTS, AND SHOOTING INNOCENT
00:55:11PEOPLE. A BORDER PATROL AGENT SHOT U.S.
00:55:13CITIZEN IN CHICAGO NATIVE
00:55:18MIRAMAR MARTINEZ FIVE TIMES AFTER SIDE SWIPING HER VEHICLE.
00:55:22SHE SURVIVED. AFTER MS. MARTINEZ WAS SHOT, DHS
00:55:26BRANDED HER AS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST.
00:55:30A BORDER PATROL AGENT BRECHT ABOUT SHOOTING HER.
00:55:32AND FBI AGENT FALSELY CLAIMED SHE CHASED A BORDER PATROL AGENT
00:55:36BEFORE SHE WAS SHOT.
00:55:37DR. PATEL, AFTER THE SHOOTING, YOU TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND
00:55:41POSTED A VIDEO OF A DIFFERENT COLLISION THAT YOU SENT
00:55:45SUPPORTED THE DHS.
00:55:48YOU SAID, ATTACKED OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THIS FBI WILL
00:55:52FIND YOU AND BRING YOU TO JUSTICE.
00:55:56DHS AND FBI HAVE SINCE REFUSED
00:55:59TO CORRECT THE RECORD, NO CHARGES FILED AGAINST MS.
00:56:02MARTINEZ WHO WAS SHOT FIVE TIMES BY THESE AGENTS.
00:56:06IN ANOTHER EVENT, AN ICE AGENT
00:56:08SHOT AND KILLED SEVERITY OF THE EGG IS GONZALES.
00:56:11SHORTLY AFTER HE DROPPED HIS CHILDREN OFF AT SCHOOL AND
00:56:15DAYCARE. PUBLICLY RELEASE VIDEO FOOTAGE
00:56:18IN THE STATEMENT CONTRACTED DHS CLAIMS OF THE ICE AGENT WHO SHOT
00:56:22HIM WAS DIRECT A SIGNIFICANT
00:56:26DISTANCE AND FEARED FOR HIS LIFE.
00:56:28IN THE PAST, THE FBI WOULD HAVE SWIFTLY RESPONDED TO THESE
00:56:32SHOOTINGS, GATHERING EVIDENCE IN WORKING WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION
00:56:36TO CONDUCT A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION. BUT NOT NOW.
00:56:40THIS MORNING ON YOUR WEBSITE OF
00:56:44THE FBI, IS THE FOLLOWING. THE FBI IS A PRIMARY FEDERAL
00:56:48AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE
00:56:52VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES.
00:56:55DIRECTOR PATEL, WHY HAS THE FBI
00:56:58REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE EITHER OF THESE SHOOTINGS?
00:57:00DIR. PATEL: WE HAVE NOT REFUSED
00:57:04TO INVESTIGATE EITHER OF THESE SHOOTINGS. THESE INVESTIGATIONS ARE CURRENTLY ONGOING.
00:57:08SO I AM UNABLE TO COMMENT ON THE NATURE OF THEM.
00:57:11YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY AGENCY INVOLVED BECAUSE IT IS MULTIPLE
00:57:15FEDERAL AGENCIES. WE HAVE TO WORK WITH FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL PARTNERS TO COLLECT
00:57:18THE INFORMATION AND ALLOW THE
00:57:20DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO MAKE DECISIONS APPROPRIATELY.
00:57:23SEN. DURBIN: DO YOU STILL STAND BEHIND THE FALSE STATEMENTS YOU
00:57:27MADE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER MS.
00:57:30MARTINEZ WAS SHOT? DIR. PATEL: THOSE FALSE STATEMENTS, ACCORDING TO YOU, ARE NOT FALSE STATEMENTS.
00:57:34THEY WERE CLIPPED TOGETHER TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I LIKE, AND I DIDN'T.
00:57:38SEN. DURBIN: SHE HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME AFTER BEING
00:57:41SHOT FIVE TIMES AND TURNING OVER
00:57:43THE VIDEO FOR YOUR REVIEW AS WELL AS OTHER AGENCIES.
00:57:49DIR. PATEL: YOU WANT HER TO BE CHARGE FOR BEING SHOT?
00:57:52THAT IS WHAT YOU SAID. SEN. DURBIN: YOU SAID, ATTACK
00:57:56OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE FBI WILL FIND YOU AND BRING YOU TO JUSTICE.
00:57:59WILL YOU BRING HER TO JUSTICE BY SHOOTING HER FIVE TIMES?
00:58:02DIR. PATEL: WE DID NOT SHOOT HER.
00:58:06SEN. DURBIN: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID. HE REFUSED TO SEE IF THERE ARE
00:58:10FEDERAL RIGHTS STATUTES.
00:58:13IT IS NOT AN ENCOURAGEMENT FOR GOOD CONDUCT, AND YOU KNOW THAT.
00:58:17LET ME ASK A SEPARATE QUESTION.
00:58:20ACCORDING TO A MEMO ISSUED THIS JUNE, THE FBI HAS LOWERED ITS
00:58:23HIRING STANDARDS BY DROPPING
00:58:26AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION FOR
00:58:28APPLICANTS WHO HAVE STOLEN FROM
00:58:30PRIOR EMPLOYEE'S, PAID FOR SEX,
00:58:33OR ENGAGED IN BEASTIE ALATEEN.
00:58:35IN JULY, YOU CLAIM FBI IS LOSING
00:58:39TOO MANY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO THE RIGORS OF REQUIREMENTS FROM
00:58:43YESTERYEAR. DIRECTOR PATEL, DO YOU BELIEVE THOSE OF THE PREVIOUSLY STOLEN
00:58:48EMPLOYERS, SOLICITED SEX, OR
00:58:50ENGAGED IN BEASTIE REALITY --
00:58:56BESTIALITY ARE QUALIFIED?
00:59:00DIR. PATEL: THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP SO WE COULD GET TO THE TRUTH. WE DID NOT WANT TO PUNISH
00:59:04VICTIMS OF BEASTILITY, VICTIMS
00:59:10WHO ARE TRAFFICKED, IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF THESE AWFUL, HEINOUS
00:59:14ACT. THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME STANDARDS AND APPLICATION PROCESS.
00:59:18ON YOUR OTHER NOTE REGARDING
00:59:20STANDARDS, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER.
00:59:23WE HAVE JUST HIRED ON 307 FORMER
00:59:29MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND THOSE WITH ADVANCED
00:59:33DEGREES, 400 48 INDIVIDUALS FLUENT IN MULTIPLE FOREIGN LANGUAGES.
00:59:37WE HAVE CHANGED THE STANDARDS AND ARE NOT GOING TO TARGET
00:59:39VICTIMS AND PREVENT THEM FROM SERVING IN A CAPACITY TO SERVE
00:59:43THIS COUNTRY. SEN. DURBIN: LISTEN TO THIS.
00:59:53NO LONGER PROTECTING THOSE
00:59:55CHARGED WITH BEASTIALITY, THE
01:00:00PROTECTING THE VICTIMS. FLIPPED IT AROUND.
01:00:09DIR. PATEL: APPLICANTS WHO HAVE
01:00:12ENGAGED IN BEASTIALITY MAINSTAY
01:00:25I ELIMINATED THE BUREAUCRACY.
01:00:35CHAIR GRASSLEY: DO YOU BELIEVE
01:00:37THE FILES CONTAIN NO ADDITIONAL
01:00:41EVIDENCE OF WRONGDOING? DIR. PATEL: THE EPSTEIN FILES,
01:00:45THREE POINT 5 MILLION PAGES OF
01:00:45BEEN RELEASED BY THIS
01:00:50ADMINISTRATIONR.
01:00:51THISY DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEONE
01:00:56FORWARD AND WE WILL ALWAYS INVESTIGATE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING