Rep. Jordan Calls on FBI Official to Testify on Whistleblower Retaliation

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio., has asked a high-ranking FBI official to testify behind closed doors regarding his alleged retaliation against whistleblowers, The Washington Times reported.

On Wednesday, Jordan requested Jeffery B. Veltri, special-agent-in-charge of the Miami field office, to answer questions regarding the FBI’s "misuse of the security clearance suspension and revocation process."

"The Committee has learned that in this role, you were involved in key decisions with respect to the FBI’s adjudication of security clearance matters," Jordan wrote. "As such, we believe that you have information critical to our oversight and request that you appear for a transcribed interview."

Jordan’s letter follows a Department of Justice Office of Inspector General report from Tuesday that the FBI and other agencies removed whistleblower agents of their security clearance and pay without giving them ample time to appeal the judgements.

Jordon noted in his letter that the committee received detailed information from various sources that Veltri was involved in the security clearance investigations of several FBI whistleblowers, including Staff Operations Specialist Marcus Allen and Special Agent Garret O’Boyle.

"The Committee and Select Subcommittee have also been informed that in these and other cases, you were warned the FBI was not providing these employees with due process in the security clearance suspension determinations and during revocation investigations," he wrote.

"Instead of heeding these warnings, you allowed Sec.D to move forward with the recommendations to suspend or revoke the whistleblowers’ security clearances."

Jordon said in his letter to Veltri that the charges against Allen and O’Boyle where "tenuous at best and later determined to be unfounded."

Late last year it was revealed that Veltri was ordered to purge his social media accounts of anti-Trump posts. At the time, whistleblowers noted in a disclosure to the House Judiciary Committee that he was a curious choice to head the Miami field office due to his transparent dislike of former President Donald Trump. "The home of President Donald Trump is located in the area of responsibility of the Miami Field Office," the disclosure read.

"It was well known that Veltri was adamantly and vocally Anti-Trump. Veltri was ordered to remove all of his Facebook and social media posts that were anti-Trump."