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CASH CUTOFF: GOP official threatens to defund FBI in stalling move for Jan 6th investigations

CASH CUTOFF: GOP official threatens to defund FBI in stalling move for Jan 6th investigations

GOP official threatens to defund FBI in stalling move for Jan 6th investigations

Republicans have spent months threatening to strip funding, hold endless hearings, or otherwise punish the FBI, the Justice Department, Attorney General Merrick Garland, the January 6th Committee members, and any other individual or entity that dared to investigate, contradict, or embarrass ousted ex-president Donald Trump and his GOP accomplices.

Now that their takeover of the House is imminent, they’re trying to recast the move as an effort towards accountability.

James Comer (R-KY), who will take over as the GOP Chair of the House Oversight Committee, is now openly calling for the House to defund the FBI, framing it as a way to hold the agency accountable if they fail to respond to subpoenas that the new Congress sends for hearings on the Hunter Biden laptop.

His party is still throwing tantrums after the laptop, allegedly dropped off by then-candidate Joe Biden’s son at a repair shop, failed to keep Biden out of office, and Trump in.

Ironically, his threat is hanging over the hypothetical failure to respond to subpoenas that haven’t even been sent yet, while four members of his own GOP are preparing to face the House Ethics Committee for the same action — except for the fact that their noncompliance isn’t hypothetical.

Is there an ulterior motive, though?

Denying funding for the FBI’s necessary work could certainly compel an appearance (again, in the hypothetical case that the agency intended to avoid hearings to begin with, an assumption for which no evidence has been presented), but it could also stall investigations of the former president and his fans for the January 6th attack.

“To think that as we speak, the Senate sitting here giving them more money for the next 12 months, tying our hands and our ability to get the FBI in front of the Committee. One way we could get the FBI in front of the Committee really quickly is to say, we’re not giving you a penny until you all come down here and explain to us…why you told Twitter to suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story…” Comer complains.

Watch below:

Of course, some obvious problems with his rant include that, as Above The Law pointed out earlier this month, there’s been no credible allegation that the FBI directed or ordered the suppression of the story — only that they warned social media sites it might be disinformation.

There’s also already been an investigation that found no wrongdoing.

“If you said Twitter’s decision to block links to The New York Post was election interference [y]ou’re wrong. Very much so. First off, there was, in fact, a complaint to the FEC about this very point, and the FEC investigated and found no election interference at all.”

The primary fact, though, is this. NBC News has reported on the increased funding the FBI will receive via the new budget — there’s a valid reason for it, and it’s a reason that many members of the GOP are not happy about.

“One reason for the additional money is ‘to further support prosecutions related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and domestic terrorism cases,” according to a summary provided by the House Appropriations Committee,'” NBC News explained.

No wonder Rep. Comer and his fellow Republicans want to strangle this FBI baby in its crib

Steph Bazzle covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph.

Stephanie Bazzle
Steph Bazzle is a news writer who covers politics and theocracy, always aiming for a world free from extremism and authoritarianism. Follow Steph on Twitter @imjustasteph. Sign up for all of her stories to be delivered to your inbox here:

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