Rep. Jim Jordan tried to revive his failed weaponization of government hearing with three alleged FBI whistleblowers who were paid by Trump associates.
Jordan was asked before the hearing about his fake whistleblowers being paid by Trump associates:
REPORTER: Today’s hearing is about how the FBI is politicized, but do you think it’s appropriate for some of these whistleblowers to be paid by one of Trump’s former advisers?
JIM JORDAN: They got a family! How are they supposed to feed their family? pic.twitter.com/L8lAx4z3qO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 18, 2023
Jordan answered, “They got a family. How are they supposed to feed their family!!” Jordan went on to say that he’s got four kids.
Rep. Jordan never addressed the fact that his whistleblowers were on the Trump payroll.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) pointed out in the hearing that the witnesses weren’t whistleblowers but employees of the federal government with employment grievances:
Connolly: “Y’all have employment grievances. That does not make you whistleblowers … an enumeration of grievances does not constitute whistleblower status.” pic.twitter.com/x3L2388SdZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 18, 2023
House Judiciary Committee Democrats issued a report in March proving that the whistleblowers were fake and being paid by associates of Trump.
The Democrats wrote:
These interviews also reveal the active engagement and orchestration of disturbing outside influence on the witnesses and, potentially, the Republican members of the Select Subcommittee.
A network of organizations led by former Trump administration officials like Kash Patel and Russell Vought, appears to have identified these witnesses, provided them with financial compensation, and found them employment after they left the FBI. These same individuals lobbied for the creation of the Select Subcommittee in the first place. They have a story to tell, and they appear to be using House Republicans to tell it.
These are fake witnesses backed by Trump’s associates that aren’t fooling anyone. Jim Jordan has tried through numerous bungled hearings to spread his conspiracy theories about the deep state to help Donald Trump.
It isn’t working, Jordan and the House Republicans can find no credible evidence of wrongdoing or a vast plot. Jordan’s hearings and committee are nonsense and noise that Republicans hope that they can inject into mainstream political conversation to muddy the waters for the 2024 election.
Jim Jordan has failed. With the 2024 presidential campaign heating up soon, his weaponization of government investigation looks like a money-wasting debacle.