Senator Hawley SLAMS FBI Official Who Admits Bureau 'Unintentionally' Spied on 278,000 Americans

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri hit Deputy Director of the FBI Paul Abbate with a bit of a proverbial curveball during Tuesday's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee but the most troubling and unexpected development wasn't just Abbate's non-answers. It was the reveal that the Bureau has "according to the court, the FISA court, ran 278,000 unwarranted — probably illegal — queries on Americans."

According to The Daily Caller News Foundation, Hawley laid into the Deputy Director asking why the bureau refused to vow it would release the subpoenaed FD 1023 form regarding President Joe Biden's alleged bribery scandal. Abbate claimed that doing so would put the life of the document's source in danger.
 

Sen. Hawley: "Why don't you just release it? Is it classified?"

FBI Deputy Director Abbate: "The document is not classified."

Sen. Hawley: "Will you commit to releasing this unclassified document that alleges that the President Of the United States has taken $5 million in… pic.twitter.com/RmDTQctaZw

— Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) June 13, 2023

Abbate in response suggested that the former litigator and Attorney General wasn't taking the safety of the FBI's source "seriously." The interaction went downhill fast from there.

Hawley replied, “I also take seriously the fact that your institution has repeatedly abused its authority, has repeatedly targeted political opponents … Your institution is the one that, according to the court, the FISA court, ran 278,000 unwarranted — probably illegal — queries on Americans, right? That was your institution, correct?” 
 

“With respect to the compliance incident, yes,” Abbate answered.

“Compliance. You characterized the unlawful querying, 278,000 times, of American citizens as ‘compliance issues’?” Hawley continued, pressing.

“We’ve said before, I’ve said, that [it’s] totally unacceptable,” Abbate said. Hawley demanded, “Who’s been fired for it?”

“Individuals involved are handled through the disciplinary process.” the Deputy Director replied.

“Who’s been fired for it?” Hawley repeated with Abbate answering, "In the case of the unintentional instance, where something similar happened, we have fired people in the past."

Hawley seemed taken aback: 

"Wait, I’m sorry, what does that word salad mean? The ‘unintentional instance’? What does that mean? Who’s been fired for the 278,000 times that you improperly or illegally queried the database for American citizens?"

Abbate began again, "When we find intentional incidents–" but Hawley was uninterested in hearing the same line again. He honed in, "Wait, you’re saying that the 278,000 queries were unintentional?"
 

“I believe that’s correct," Abbate answered.

“Wow,” Hawley said, incredulously. “278,000 times, American citizens’ information was queried by your agency unintentionally? That’s your testimony?”

“I would want to go back and check that, Senator, but yes, my understanding is that the vast majority of the–” the FBI official began again before Hawley cut him off. Abbate would vacillate for several more minutes before settling with, "My understanding is that likely all are — were unintentional."

As previously reported the FISA court did in fact find that the FBI illegally inquired into approximately 278,000 Americans via their database in 2020 and 2021 in connection to the BLM riots and the January 6th Capital Riots.

Today the FBI claimed that its 278,000 illegal searches on Americans - pursued over years & years - were all 100% “unintentional.” Hahahahaha pic.twitter.com/mGPKnkhqKo

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 13, 2023
 

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