The Federal Bureau of Investigation has tens of thousands of agents. They do a great job of tracking down the most heinous criminals of all sorts – terrorists, mobsters, embezzlers, forgers, spies, etc., etc., etc.
They also are trained to follow orders. It is what they do – and what they are obligated to do. The raid on President Trump’s residence was carried out by good men and women who were honoring their oaths of office to implement the orders from their leadership and the courts. They should not be subject to the scorn of the people – and especially not subject to threats or acts of violence.
If there is misconduct in the actions of the FBI, the responsibility falls on the leadership – those who may be manipulating or abusing the powers of their offices for political or personal benefit.
If the Department of Justice and the FBI are engaging in political witch hunts and/or abuse of power, it is not coming from the worker bees. It is a product of leadership.
We often state our belief in the adage that “power corrupts … and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” There is no sector in the American bureaucracy that is more powerful than law enforcement. It is the one profession that can deny us our freedom. Law enforcement can take away our wealth and even our lives.
Those defending the major law enforcement agencies often say they are “independent,” “professional,” and “nonpartisan.” But only when they are in agreement with whatever the DOJ or the FBI are doing at the time. Currently, those on the left say that criticizing the DOJ or the FBI undermines public confidence in law enforcement. They accuse those on the right of undermining democracy.
On the other hand, those on the left have no compunction from mounting severe criticism on community policing, on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Secret Service, Homeland Security and the Defense Department (the latter three for the loss of text messages).
Those who head law enforcement agencies have a long history of abusing power. J. Edgar Hoover had been under constant criticism from the left – as was Attorney General John Mitchell under President Nixon. Attorney General Eric Holder even got the only AG contempt of Congress citation for his misuse of power to protect his boss – President Obama.
We saw enough very dubious activity by the leaders of the law enforcement and intelligence communities leading up to the 2016 presidential election – and since – to be wisely wary. It was very consistent with Senate Leader Chuck Schumer’s warning to Trump. In the early days of the Trump administration, Schumer said Trump was really “dumb” in attacking the intelligence community. “Let me tell you, you take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”
As a fellow with decades of experience in the inner workings of Washington, Schumer’s warning does not support the narrative that these agencies are only motivated by independent pursuit of justice. Schumer’s statement should be a warning to all Americans.
No, the problem is not the cop on the beat or the FBI agent in the field. The greatest danger comes from the corruption and politicization of the folks at the top. One hundred percent trust in government is foolish … period. That is why Thomas Jefferson admonished us to be “eternally vigilant” and Benjamin Franklin said that the Founders had created a Republic “if we can keep it.”
So, there ‘tis.