Graves: Obama, FBI, Department of Justice abused their power

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

When an abuse of power is uncovered from the highest levels of government, it must be taken seriously. As an American citizen, you have the RIGHT to know if there has been an abuse of your public trust.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to view the then-classified FISA memo, and found the content to be deeply concerning. Since viewing the memo, I have been committed to working with my colleagues on its release and ensuring that the American public is informed, the homeland is safe, and any bad actors are held accountable for their actions.

It is Congress’ role to have oversight over the executive branch, ensuring rules and procedures are followed, and when rules are broken, ensuring those responsible for wrongdoing are held accountable.

From the highest level, it is clear, that a line was crossed. A political document, paid for by an affiliate of the Hilary Clinton Presidential Campaign, was used by the FBI and Department of Justice to justify conducting surveillance on key individuals within the Trump Campaign during the 2016 Election.

The Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act’s (FISA) capabilities are extraordinary and must be carefully restricted to protect American’s civil liberties. By law there must be credible evidence for the government to wiretap any individual. Any use of these powers for political purposes or any purpose other than defending the American people is intolerable.

The FBI and DOJ have always been and will continue to be one of our nation’s premiere law enforcement agencies, but at the same time, our most prestigious agencies are vulnerable to individuals acting against the department’s policies. Unfortunately, some bad apples, acting under our previous administration let their disdain for our current President get in the way of them doing their job.

I am pleased to see the House Intelligence Committee voted to release the memo after they concluded their year-long investigation and I am glad the American public now has the resources and the opportunity to review the contents of the memo to judge for themselves the actions of the FBI.