FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the attorney general, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt met to discuss expanding the FBI’s domestic surveillance in 1938. They agreed this should proceed “with the utmost degree of secrecy” to avoid public criticism or objections “by either ill-informed persons or individuals having some ulterior motive.” In fact, they decided against asking Congress for additional authority to spy on Americans because it would “draw attention to the fact of what is being done.”
In 1975, the Church Committee uncovered widespread abuses by intelligence agencies, revealing FBI programs aimed at disrupting and discrediting groups to prevent dissent by the American people. Does this sound familiar? It should. In the last several years, government intervention has increased in a way that would likely appall the late Sen. Frank Church.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the FBI has targeted supporters of President-elect Donald Trump, labeled Catholics as potential domestic terrorists, and even proposed infiltrating Catholic churches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FBI monitored social media users voicing concerns about government actions and labeled opposition to stay-at-home orders as potential threats.
Statements about COVID-19 now supported by overwhelming evidence were flagged as disinformation. My own statements regarding the efficacy of masks, naturally acquired immunity, and the origins of COVID-19 were labeled as “disinformation.” However, we now know the most significant source of disinformation during the pandemic was actually the U.S. government.
Recently, the FBI has gone as far as attempting to revoke security clearances of its own employees for their political beliefs or vaccine hesitancy. Employees have been compelled to answer questions like, “Do you vocalize support for President Trump?” or “Do you object to COVID-19 vaccination policies?” If this is how it treats its own employees, imagine what it’s doing to the American people.
This weaponization of the FBI must end. The sole focus of the FBI should be to ensure the safety and security of the American people. Therefore, when clear abuses of power occur, we must hold officials accountable for misconduct and work to rid partisan influences from the Department of Justice.
It’s important to clarify: The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are filled with dedicated, hardworking individuals. Many agents and staff are patriots, men and women who chose these careers to protect our constitutional rights and share our concerns about the direction of these agencies. For their sake, it’s vital to root out the rot within.
This rot has spread over the past several years. DHS has strayed from its original mission, using extensive authorities and taxpayer funding to violate civil liberties. In 2023, DHS formed a Homeland Intelligence Experts Group and appointed actual “disinformation spreaders” to influence its operations. One of these “experts,” James Clapper, had lied under oath to the Senate, concealing the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance of millions of Americans. Additionally, Clapper, John Brennan, and Paul Kolbe were among the 51 former intelligence officials who interfered in a presidential election, using their former positions to manipulate public opinion and dismiss legitimate concerns about Hunter Biden’s business dealings as “Russian disinformation.”
Meanwhile, one of the clearest threats to our homeland, the southwest border crisis, has been ignored. Under DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the Biden-Harris administration, there have been over 10.3 million illegal southwest border crossings, including 387 individuals on the terrorist watchlist, up from just 11 in the previous four years. Yet instead of addressing genuine dangerous threats, the FBI and DHS have focused on surveilling and censoring law-abiding Americans exercising free speech.
The resources and technological capabilities at the government’s disposal pale in comparison to those available during the Church Committee’s investigation. Since then, the FBI’s budget has grown from $440 million to over $15 billion. Not to mention, seven new federal intelligence agencies have been created, including DHS, which now commands a staggering $176 billion budget. These agencies blur legal boundaries, spend taxpayer dollars without accountability, and turn powerful surveillance tools inward on the very citizens they are sworn to protect.
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If there’s one lesson from the most recent election, it’s that Americans are tired of this cycle of abuse. We need to restore trust in our institutions. When I become chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee next Congress, we will conduct rigorous oversight, demand accountability and transparency, and ensure these agencies truly serve the people rather than operating behind a veil of secrecy.
I am hopeful the incoming Trump administration will work cooperatively with Congress to restore the integrity of our institutions and reverse the damage that has been done. Consider this a notice to the bureaucracy: The time for change is now; no institution is above public scrutiny. It is our duty to ensure the principles of American democracy endure, and I hope my colleagues on both sides will join me in that mission.
Dr. Rand Paul represents Kentucky in the U.S. Senate.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
