A senior FBI agent under scrutiny for alleged political bias during the Hunter Biden laptop inquiry has left the agency, The Washington Times reported.
Two former FBI officials familiar with the situation told the Times that assistant special agent in charge Timothy Thibault, a 25-year veteran, was seen leaving the agency's building on Friday with several escorts. It is still unclear whether he resigned or was forced out.
Thibault had come to the attention of congressional Republicans due to his politically charged social media presence and several internal leaks regarding his conduct, according to the paper.
In 2020, he was seen liking several articles criticizing then-President Donald Trump, including an opinion piece that criticized then-Attorney General William Barr for not going after Trump for his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
An FBI whistleblower later asserted that Thibault created a hostile work environment for Trump supporters and even booted unvaccinated agents from the agency's election squad.
Sen. Chuck Grassley called out Thibault in a May press release, requesting that the Department of Justice hand over records of his work history to the inspector general's office for an investigation.
On Monday, the Iowa Republican informed the Times that Thibault's exit should not stop Congress from asking questions about the potential politicization of the FBI and how it could affect ongoing investigations.
''Mr. Thibault's blatant partisanship undermined the work and reputation of the FBI. This type of bias in high-profile investigations casts a shadow over all of the bureau's work that he was involved in, which ranged from opening an investigation into Trump based on liberal news articles to shutting down investigative activity into Hunter Biden that was based on verified information,'' Grassley said.
''Political bias should have no place at the FBI, and the effort to revive the FBI's credibility can't stop with his exit. We need accountability, which is why Congress must continue investigating and the inspector general must fully investigate as I've requested,'' he added.
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