Affidavit only adds to image of FBI as tool of the left

OPINION:

The Justice Department released its redacted version of the 38-page affidavit used as justification to search the private residence of the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, and as expected, questions remain.

Namely: Why did the FBI have to search the private residence of the former president of the United States, Donald Trump?

We still don’t know.

Can’t tell ya.

Still a mystery to reading America.

In the end, American citizens are still being told: Trust us. We’re from the government. We’re only here to help.

“Respectfully submitted,” above a big black box and this: “Special Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation” — was the signatory. As if America’s supposed to see the title, but no name, and go, oh hey, that’s trustworthy.

Peter Strzok was an agent with the FBI, too. Remember him?

“FBI’s Peter Strzok Said Anti-Trump Text Messages Didn’t Reveal Bias,” a partial Wall Street Journal headline stated in June of 2018.

James Comey was an FBI guy, too — a director, no less. Remember him?

“A long-awaited report by the Justice Department’s watchdog … criticized agents and ex-FBI director James Comey for violating bureau norms during the [Hillary Clinton email server] probe. The department’s inspector general turned up fresh evidence of FBI officials exchanging messages critical of President Donald Trump and of leaking to the media,” Politico reported in April of 2018.

Let’s not forget the FBI’s handling of Trump’s campaign adviser, Carter Page, described by Julian Sanchez of the Cato Institute in a New York Times commentary as a “train wreck” that saw law enforcement committing “egregious errors, omissions or misrepresentations in filings to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,” or FISA court, that ultimately approved months and months of wiretaps against Page.

Those are but a few of the FBI’s anti-Trump biases. Coming from a different angle — now how about those pro-Democrat biases, as well?

“FBI Director [Christopher] Wray admits alleged bias in Hunter Biden probe,” The New York Post wrote a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Wray, Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused of a “deeply rooted political infection” within the ranks of the FBI that fell — predictably enough — on the side of favoring Democrats.

“Starting on May 31, 2022,” Grassley wrote, “I’ve written three letters to you regarding political bias that has infected the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Two of those letters provided specific and credible allegations based on numerous whistleblowers that have approached my office with information that one can only conclude is indicative of a deeply rooted political infection that has spread to investigative activity into former President Trump and Hunter Biden.”

That is to say — the FBI went gung-ho against Trump and blind monkey to all-things-Biden.

Now back to the 38-page affidavit, with its 20 or so pages of blackness and blankness and blackouts — also called redactions — concluded by the “respectfully submitted” from the anonymous “special agent Federal Bureau of Investigations” and ask yourself: Can an agent with the FBI truly be trusted to offer up the kind of information that should be needed to rifle through the closets of a former president of the United States, and remove boxes of items for government scrutiny?

The raid on Trump’s home was unprecedented.

There should therefore be an unprecedented amount of evidence, causes, justifications or cited needs made available to the American people, so as to put to rest any appearance of political improprieties.

This affidavit, in all its blackout glory, doesn’t provide that unprecedented amount of information. It doesn’t even come close.

Once again, the American people are being asked to simply trust the FBI and DOJ.

And sorry, but that trust flew out the window a long time ago.

Unprecedented police actions require unprecedented levels of public accountability — an unprecedented release of normally private or sensitive data.

And once again, sorry, but this affidavit doesn’t meet that standard.

One need only read the recent news feeds to see: The FBI’s reputation has been publicly tarnished and tainted by leftist political operatives; weaponized for Democrat agendas. This affidavit only continues that perception.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE  or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.