Timothy Thibault, a former top FBI official who left the bureau last month, has been warned not to alter or destroy documents and communications in his possession, particularly those connected to his work on the Hunter Biden investigation.
“Whistleblowers have come to Congress alleging that you were part of a scheme to undermine and discredit allegations of criminal wrongdoing by members of the Biden family. Accordingly, we believe that you possess information relating to our investigation and we request your assistance with our inquiry,” the letter says.
The letter was signed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the committee’s ranking member, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Before leaving the FBI, Thibault was an assistant special agent in charge at the bureau’s Washington Field Office.
“You should construe this preservation notice as an instruction to take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry,” the three lawmakers told Thibault in their letter.
‘Domestic Violent Extremism’
Other documents and communications that Thibault needs to preserve are related to an allegation that he “pressured line agents to reclassify cases as ‘domestic violent extremism’ even though there was minimal, circumstantial evidence to support a reclassification,” the letter says, citing a July report from Breitbart.“Given the narrative pushed by the Biden Administration that domestic violent extremism is the ‘greatest threat’ facing our country, the revelation that the FBI may be artificially padding domestic terrorism data is scandalous,” says Jordan’s letter to Wray.
In their letter, the three GOP lawmakers are also requesting that Thibault take part in a transcribed interview, and the former FBI official needs to schedule the interview before Oct. 7.
“We are investigating several allegations concerning the politicization of the Department [of Justice] and the FBI,” the letter says, adding that Thibault’s testimony “is necessary to advance our oversight.”