Democratic congressman launches probe of DOJ settlements with Biden-era FBI whistleblowers

The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee launched an investigation into allegations that the Department of Justice paid millions of dollars to pro-Trump FBI agents fired during the Biden administration.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, said the agents were “fired for serious misconduct” under President Biden but then rewarded under President Trump for being so-called whistleblowers.

Mr. Raskin sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche criticizing him for large cash settlements, backpay and reinstatements to agents previously terminated “for leaking classified information, lying to investigators, refusing to pursue violent extremist groups and participating in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.”

Mr. Raskin said, “All of these handouts constitute an astounding and lawless abuse of government office and taxpayer dollars.”

He focused on the political alignment of the agents, who are outspoken supporters of Mr. Trump, and their attorneys at Empower Oversight, a nonprofit organization specializing in whistleblower protection and government oversight.

“It has come to our attention that you have used your office to improperly shower government cash on Donald Trump’s political operatives and sycophants, beginning with corrupt seven-figure ‘settlements’ for disgraced Trump officials Michael Flynn and Carter Page who had already lost their cases against the government in court,” Mr. Raskin wrote.

“You have now proceeded behind closed doors to order the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to pay millions of dollars to former FBI agents who were suspended, fired, and had their clearances revoked for criminal activity, major breaches of national security, or violations of the standards of conduct and professionalism required of law enforcement agents.”

The committee’s Democrats obtained, according to Mr. Raskin, evidence that the DOJ intervened almost a dozen times to overrule the FBI’s disciplinary process and approve payments to agents whose claims had already failed through internal review and, in some instances, in court.

The congressman demanded Mr. Blanche turn over records, including all communications among DOJ, the FBI, and outside groups involved in the settlements, as well as a full accounting of all agents who received payments, reinstatements, or restored security clearances.

The committee’s Democrats are also seeking information on the roles of senior DOJ officials who approved the payments and on the extent of congressional staff involvement.

Empower Oversight, which represented the FBI whistleblowers, shrugged off Mr. Raskin’s allegations.

“This letter is more a toddler’s temper tantrum than serious congressional oversight. It’s filled with shameless lies about our clients that would get him sued if he wasn’t protected by the Constitution’s Speech or Debate privilege,” the firm said in a statement to The Washington Times. “It is common practice for federal agencies to settle legal or administrative complaints against them, which (as Empower Oversight made public on March 19, 2025) virtually all of the whistleblowers had against the FBI at the time of the settlements.”

Empower Oversight said Mr. Raskin omits the fact that FBI officials have a history of manipulating administrative proceedings, particularly security clearance matters, to force out employees for whistleblowing, exercising their First Amendment rights, or to prevent them from having the benefit of the FBI’s disciplinary process.

“The letter shows a profound misunderstanding of the difficulties that FBI whistleblowers, and FBI employees as a whole,” the statement said.

Nearly a dozen FBI whistleblowers who say they endured retaliation during the Biden administration inked agreements last August with the FBI and Justice Department to have their security clearances reinstated and collect back pay.