WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led a group of twenty-three Republican senators in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to commit to protecting agency whistleblowers who disclosed the existence of FBI records alleging a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national.
“Whistleblowers have and continue to play a vital role in exposing government misconduct at all levels. Without whistleblowers, Congress would have never known the existence of the unclassified FD-1023 form involving an alleged multi-million dollar bribery scheme between then-Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and a foreign national,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Accordingly, we demand that you commit that no taxpayer funds will be used by DOJ or FBI to expose the identity of or retaliate against any whistleblowers,” the lawmakers continued.
Federal law prohibits agencies from retaliating against employees for whistleblowing. The senators are seeking express commitments from Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI director Chris Wray to following this law.
Earlier this month, Sens. Johnson and Grassley led an effort to prevent retaliation against IRS whistleblowers who called attention to irregularities in the Hunter Biden investigation.
Sens. Johnson and Grassley are joined on today’s letter was cosigned by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).
