Authored by John Kiriakou via ConsortiumNews.com,
When considering Kash Patel’s potential role in the government, many would instinctively want to keep him out. As a staunch supporter of MAGA and Donald Trump’s pick to lead the F.B.I., Patel seems to represent Trump’s apparent strategy of using the legal system to target his perceived adversaries in the media and government. Mainstream Democratic-leaning media outlets are highly critical of Patel’s appointment. The Christian Science Monitor stated that Democrats liken him to the infamous J. Edgar Hoover, warning of potential targeting of political foes, while Republicans view him as the antidote to a modern “deep state” obstructing Trump.
“Democrats invoke (the notorious late F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover) as they warn about Mr. Patel, suggesting he will target political enemies. Republicans, though, compare Hoover’s tenure to what they say is a modern ‘deep state” resisting and harassing Mr. Trump.”
Essentially, Democrats see him as a new Hoover, while Republicans see him as the opposite.
My argument is that Kash Patel is precisely what the F.B.I. needs at this moment. We require someone with the courage and authority to metaphorically dismantle the F.B.I.
Despite Patel’s controversial reputation, including his expressed desire, according to former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, to investigate and potentially charge former Rep. Liz Cheney for her involvement with the Jan. 6 Committee, his intentions may not yield any results due to Cheney’s congressional immunity. Similarly, his calls to investigate police officers involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots may be fruitless due to qualified immunity protection.
Police reinforcements guard the Capitol after rioters were pushed out of the building on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tyler Merbler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)
Furthermore, his calls for the prosecution of political figures like President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are unlikely to lead to any legal action due to their immunity status. However, I believe that the real culprit here is the F.B.I. itself. Here are just a few examples of the F.B.I.’s historical transgressions;
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The F.B.I. engaged in surveillance of numerous Americans for holding progressive political beliefs, including well-known figures like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Groucho Marx, Sonny Bono, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Mickey Mantle, without clear justification.
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A 1985 congressional report revealed unauthorized electronic surveillance of over 7,000 Americans by the F.B.I.
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COINTELPRO, the F.B.I.’s illicit Counterintelligence Program, targeted groups and individuals deemed “subversive,” including Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, and various anti-Vietnam War, black political, and women’s rights groups.
Chicago police on Dec. 4, 1969, removing the body of Fred Hampton, national spokesman for the Black Panther Party, from a building on the city’s west side where he was assassinated during a COINTELPRO operation. (Associated Press – Chicago Sun-Times, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
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In 1964, the F.B.I. sent an anonymous letter to Martin Luther King, Jr., attempting to blackmail him for alleged indiscretions and encouraging him to commit suicide.
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In 1965, civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo was killed by a Klan member who was also an F.B.I. informant. The F.B.I. spread false rumors about Liuzzo being a Communist and drug addict, which were later debunked.
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During the Ruby Ridge incident in Idaho in 1992, F.B.I. agents shot and killed Randy Weaver’s wife, son, and dog during a standoff. Weaver was acquitted of murder charges, and the F.B.I. paid a settlement to his family.
After the Ruby Ridge siege, F.B.I. agents escort Randy Weaver down the mountain on Aug. 31, 1992. (Jim Botting, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
These incidents are just a fraction of the F.B.I.’s questionable actions, including its involvement in the 2016 election, alleged surveillance of the 2016 Trump campaign, and interference in various activist groups. The F.B.I. even investigated me in 2009 for exposing the C.I.A.’s torture program, leading to baseless espionage charges and a lengthy legal battle.
Given the F.B.I.’s track record, we need someone like Kash Patel to shake up the agency. The F.B.I. operates like a criminal enterprise and must be held accountable.
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