It's Still J. Edgar Hoover's FBI

I grew up a huge fan of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As a child, I spent several months in bed recuperating from rheumatic fever.

Since we did not have a television, my bedside companion was the radio.

Among my favorite programs was CBS's radio series, "The FBI In Peace and War."

This writer remains a staunch supporter of the vast majority of loyal FBI agents and personnel, as well as the great work they do.

They protect our nation against its enemies — both foreign and domestic.

History shows that a small minority of that organization at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. betrayed the trust and reputation of the bureau for political purposes, and did so under it's first director, J. Edgar Hoover.

Unfortunately, such transgressions were reborn under the reign of FBI Director James Comey, whom former president Donald Trump rightly fired.

In appointing his successor, Christopher Wray, Trump said:

"He is an impeccably qualified individual, and I know that he will again serve his country as a fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity.  . . ."

"Fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity."

Really?

Remember the adage "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"?

Our nation just observed Memorial Day. A holiday which honors all military service members who died, while honorably perfoming their duty in our country's armed forces.

In his remarks at the 155^th National Memorial Day Observance, President Joe Biden said, in part:

"On this day, we come together again to reflect...to recommit to the future our fallen heroes fought for . . .  grounded in freedom, democracy, equality, tolerance, opportunity, and, yes, justice."

It's obvious that Biden, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Wray have forgotten, or ignored, the meanings of "freedom, democracy, tolerance. . .  and yes, justice."

Otherwise, they would not be reinstituting the dark days of the FBI when Hoover was feared by Democrats and most of Washington’s political elite.

Many in today’s progressive media and political establishments have no conception of the dark side of the FBI’s otherwise great history when Hoover's FBI spied on civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as others!   

King became a target of the FBI’s domestic Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) established by Hoover to disrupt the activities of the Communist Party in the United States and discredit and defame perceived political radicals.

It was expanded to include several other domestic groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Black Panther Party.

King was subjected to various kinds of FBI surveillance — with Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's approval.

That surveillance produced no — evidence of Communist influence.

Fast-forward to today.

Hoover is gone, but Attorney General Garland and FBI Director Wray have seemingly resurrected the concept of his COINTELPRO program.

How so? Regard the FBI’s involvement in the so-called "Russian Hoax" as outlined in the Durham Report and revelations of FBI "Whistleblowers" before the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

Progressives and their cohorts in the liberal progressive media have turned 180 degrees from when they criticized Hoover's actions against Dr. King.

They either support or remain silent on the FBI’s efforts to investigate and intimidate groups and persons because of their conservative political viewpoints.

Democrats and much of the mainstream media have become apologists and defenders FBI and its transgressions.

A good example is how Democrats on the committee, notably Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., disrespected and attacked Black FBI whistle-blower Marcus Allen and his two colleagues.

She and her fellow Democrats have forgotten the long struggle to see Blacks attain the rank of special agent in the FBI.

We now learn that the FBI misused controversial surveillance powers more than 278,000 times between 2020 and early 2021 to conduct warrantless searches.

This included searches on 133 people arrested during the George Floyd protests and more than 19,000 donors to congressional campaigns.

If that were not enough, the FBI initially rejected a request from U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., to provide access to a document that has uncorroborated information that Joe Biden, when vice president, was allegedly involved in a criminal bribery conspiracy to change U.S. policy in exchange for financial gains to family businesses.

In a political game of "chicken," Wray relented — after Comer subpoenaed the document — and agreed to provide the document only to committee leaders — not the entire committee!

This prompted Comer to state that the committee would initiate contempt of Congress hearings.

Three questions: Will Republicans in Congress end the FBI and DOJ’s apparent immunity from meaningful congressional oversight?

Will they allow them to continue as weaponized adjuncts of and shock troops for the Democratic Party?

Was former President Barack H. Obama aware of his then vice president’s questionable activities?

We shall see.

Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations and training consulting firm in Florida. He is the author of "How Obama Failed Black America and How Trump Is Helping It." Read Clarence V. McKee's Reports — More Here.