Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., told Newsmax Tuesday that the House Judiciary Committee has a lot of “really important questions” to ask FBI Director Christopher Wray at its hearing Wednesday morning.
“We know that the FBI has been investigating parents who are attending school board meetings,” Lee, who serves on the judiciary panel, said during an appearance on Newsmax’s “American Agenda.”
“We know that in cases the FBI actually investigated Americans who were attending traditional Roman Catholic churches. So we have a lot of questions there in making sure that the FBI is respecting Americans who are just exercising their First Amendment rights to go and petition a school board if they're concerned about how their children are being educated or to worship freely where they choose.”
“We’re also interested in FISA,” she continued. “We know that there have been instances of misuse of that surveillance by the FBI. So we have a number of very important areas that we want to discuss with Director Wray to get answers for the American people about the FBI and what's going on over there.”
The Florida representative also said that Congress needs to ensure that “the FBI and the Department of Justice are treating all Americans fairly and equally under the law.”
“Americans deserve to have confidence in their institutions of justice and that begins by understanding that we're all going to be treated the same for the same conduct and that we all will have an equal experience in our criminal justice system,” she said. “Right now there's a real lack of confidence and some grave concern that FBI resources are being used for these types of things, or that people with certain viewpoints may be getting unfairly targeted.”
“I think restoring that trust begins with effective and thorough oversight and making sure that we are getting the answers that we need for the American people,” she added.
When asked if impeachment was an option if the committee did not get the answers it’s looking for, Lee said that it has to begin by asking questions, and “getting answers and getting transparency.”
“That is the foundation to understanding what's been going on here,” she said. “I will tell you this: I am a former federal prosecutor and a former judge, so I understand the very important work that the FBI is doing out in communities around our country. That's all the more reason why we need to ensure that those resources and those agents are being used to do the things that they are sworn to do – to uphold the law, to investigate real criminals, not parents who are going to school board meetings to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
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