Exclusive: The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has found that a former FBI official violated the Hatch Act with political posts on social media. The same whistleblower claimed Biden had shown “active public partisanship” that “could have influenced” the investigation into former President Trump and Hunter.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is investigating former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault in the Washington, D.C., field office after he allegedly engaged in prohibited political activities on social media. Inquired.
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Grassley's request for an investigation comes after a whistleblower informed Grassley's office that Thibault was involved in launching a voter investigation into the Trump campaign and its associates based on information from some left-wing organizations. It was conducted.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, Republican, Iowa (Susan Walsh/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The whistleblowers alleged that Thibault did so by “circumventing the normal processes and procedures for initiating a full-scale on-site investigation.”
Through the whistleblower, Grassley said that Thibault's opening memo calling for a full investigation was eventually approved by FBI Director Chris Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, and details of the sources' political bias were “removed and diluted.” I learned that it was something that had been done to me.
FOX News Digital also previously reported that Thibault “ordered” the shutdown of “disparaging coverage of Hunter Biden” outlets in October 2020. At the time, Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson It was investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings. Hunter Biden was also under federal investigation. Investigation at the time – Investigation started in 2018.
The FBI ultimately removed Thibault from his post as assistant special agent in charge. He later resigned.
Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the letter sent to Grassley by the Office of the Special Counsel this week.
“This letter calls on the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate former FBI Assistant Special Agent Timothy Thibault and his alleged involvement in prohibited political activity on social media. It is in response to your requests.” The letter states that the Office of the Special Counsel has “exclusive jurisdiction over civil Hatch Act matters” and that Mr. Grassley's investigative referral was turned over to the Office of the Special Counsel.
“Although Mr. Thibault has left public service, we have completed our investigation and concluded that he violated the Hatch Act,” the OSC wrote.
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The Hatch Act regulates the political activities of all federal civil servants and prohibits them from using their power or influence to interfere with or influence the outcome of elections. knowingly soliciting, accepting, or accepting political contributions from any person; Being a candidate for a partisan elected office. Deliberately soliciting or discouraging political activity from individuals conducting business in the presence of their employer.
The Hatch Act also prohibits employees from engaging in political activities while on the job, in federal government conference rooms or buildings, wearing official uniforms or insignia, or using government vehicles. There is.
The FBI's J. Edgar Hoover Headquarters Building in Washington. The Biden administration has chosen Maryland as the site for its new FBI headquarters, a person familiar with the selection said Wednesday, over a site in Virginia after intense competition between the two states. He said he chose (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
The OSC states that employees of agencies like the FBI may not participate in partisan political operations or campaigns by engaging in activities “in coordination” with political parties, partisan political organizations, or partisan political candidates. “further restrictions” and “prohibition” have been made, the statement said. office.
The OSC explained that when applied to social media, employees will be restricted from sharing or retweeting messages from partisan political groups. The reason for this is that “just like traditional leaflet distribution, social media communication promotes the organization's message.”
Regarding Mr. Thibault's social media activity, the OSC reviewed his posts on Twitter (now X) and LinkedIn.
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One post is from July 2020, where Thibault retweeted a post from The Lincoln Project. The OSC described the group as a “hybrid political action committee that is considered a partisan political organization.”
“The Lincoln Project's tweet included an article from The Atlantic titled 'Donald Trump is a Broken Man,'” the OSC said.
The OSC determined that “by retweeting the Lincoln Project message, Mr. Thibault engaged in modern-day leafleting on social media,” and that Mr. Thibault was “on vacation” at the time he retweeted the post. But he pointed out that the Hatch Act prohibits all actions. Employees “even when off-duty and away from work.”
Former President Trump is running for the White House three times in a row. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Accordingly, because Mr. Thibault shared messages from a partisan political group on Twitter, the OSC determines that he violated the Hatch Act and acted in concert with a partisan political group,” the OSC determined.
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“If Mr. Thibault engages in any activity prohibited by the Hatch Act in the future while employed in a position covered by the Hatch Act, the OSC will consider such activity to be an intentional and knowing violation of the law. You are warned that this may result in “disciplinary action,” the OSC wrote.
The letter was signed by Ana Galindo-Marrone, head of the Hatch Act Unit of the Office of the Special Counsel.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, walks with his family on November 24, 2023 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. (Reuters/Tom Brenner)
Grassley told Fox News Digital that the American people “deserve confidence that the officials entrusted to lead the upper echelons of federal law enforcement are not letting political bias influence their work.” he said.
Grassley stressed on Fox News Digital that “federal employees should not let their political views obscure their official duties,” and said the OSC found that Thibault “does not meet that standard.” Ta.
“I have warned that this type of political bias undermines public trust in the FBI,” Grassley told Fox News Digital. “It is up to the department to restore trust through transparency and cooperation with Congressional oversight.”
