Former FBI agent Timothy Thibault refused an interview requested by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee over the politicization within his agency, saying he cannot speak on ongoing investigations.
GOP lawmakers requested information from Mr. Thibault last month over the FBI’s approach to probing President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
“Concerning the request for an interview, because the subject matter pertains to sensitive law enforcement information and/or pending investigations, our client is not in a position to accept this invitation at this juncture,” an Oct. 7 letter from his attorney read.
Mr. Thibault resigned after a 30-year career at the FBI amid revelations of his partisan inclinations on social media, while leading the agency’s public corruption unit.
Mr. Thibault’s lawyer added that his client no longer has access to any FBI materials or is in possession of any FBI laptops, cell phones or other electronics.
The former agent’s conduct came under scrutiny by Republicans as over a dozen whistleblowers have come forth with allegations of political bias within the FBI. Mr. Thibault was accused of suppressing information that could benefit the investigation into Hunter Biden.
Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Darrell Issa of California, who originally sent the request, responded by calling Mr. Thibault’s attorney’s defense of respecting a pending investigation and sensitive information as being a “baseless” excuse.
The trio also rejected the notion that Mr. Thibault no longer has access to his FBI records, citing their demands to have official and personal records related to their inquiry. The lawmakers also requested he prove that he is taking all necessary steps to preserve documents related to their probe.
Mr. Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, has vowed to investigate the allegations of political bias within the FBI if his party takes the majority in November. The lawmakers reiterated such actions in their response.
“Our request that you appear for a transcribed interview remains outstanding,” they wrote. “Your testimony is necessary for our oversight, and you can be assured that Committee Republicans will continue to pursue this matter into the 118th Congress.”
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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