Former FBI agent sounds off on 'drastic' shift in bureau: 'People are terrified'
Former FBI agent recounts change in bureau after Trump-Russia probe
FBI changed drastically: former special agent Nicole Parker
Former FBI special agent Nicole Parker discusses the politicization of the agency, arguing Americans would trust the FBI more if it took accountability.
The FBI continues to be the center of controversy as whistleblowers and former agents speak out against the alleged politicization taking place within the bureau.
Nicole Parker, a former special agent for the FBI, joined "Mornings with Maria" on Friday to discuss what she experienced during her time at the bureau and the "terrifying" consequences for whistleblowers who dare to hold the agency accountable.
"You have people that are seeing things that they do not agree with, but they are terrified to speak up, Maria. They are terrified," she stressed. "Look at what they [FBI] did to some of these whistleblowers," she said.
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In May, the House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released a report that revealed new whistleblower testimony from several current and former FBI employees, exposing the "abuses and misconduct in the FBI."
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The report said that the FBI whistleblowers described the agency's alleged "retaliatory conduct" against them "after making protected disclosures about what they believed in good faith to be wrong conduct."
Parker criticized her former employer, telling FOX Business that "if you speak up, they’re going to find just anything on you, and they are going to rip you to shreds — and that’s terrifying to anyone."
"if you speak up, they’re going to find just anything on you, and they are going to rip you to shreds."
The FBI said the following in a statement to Fox News, "The FBI’s mission is to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people. In order to accomplish this mission, FBI employees are entrusted with access to sensitive and classified information. Because of the sensitive positions they occupy, FBI employees must demonstrate good judgment, trustworthiness, and reliability by following the law, regulations, and internal policies."
"It is a security concern if an employee fails to do so, and as part of our responsibility to protect sensitive national security information the FBI must investigate such failures. The FBI’s security investigations and decision-making are in accordance with the legal authorities and guidelines that all federal agencies are required to follow to objectively determine whether an individual should be eligible to access sensitive and classified information. The FBI has not and will not retaliate against individuals who make protected whistleblower disclosures," the statement added.
Parker continued, offering an alternative solution to how the FBI could handle those who speak out against its conduct.
"Why don’t we humbly, as an agency, the FBI, look back and say, 'You know what? Maybe we should humbly listen and let’s see, is there something that we could fix?'" Parker explained.
The former special agent started working for the FBI in 2010 under the Obama administration.
The seal of the FBI hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2007. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"The trickle-down effect started at the top, and it came all the way down to the field offices," she said.
During her time at the Miami division, Parker and her colleagues witnessed the FBI change after launching the Trump-Russia collusion investigation, also known as Operation Crossfire Hurricane.
"That’s when it really came to light," Parker told host Maria Bartiromo.
"The FBI shifted. The trajectory of the FBI, its mission seemed to have stayed the same on paper, but it changed drastically," she said while describing the evolution of the "politicized" bureau.
The FBI's new Boston division facility. (John Blanding/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)
She also pointed out that "agents everywhere" saw what was taking place.
The pursuit of the 2016 investigation of former President Donald Trump bruised the reputation of Parker and her former colleagues.
"All of us were dragged through the mud when we had nothing to do with it," she added.
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As backlash over Crossfire Hurricane ensued, the public became increasingly distrusting of the FBI, ultimately interfering with Parker’s job.
"It made it difficult to do my job when I'm trying to recruit sources, for instance, and they don't even trust me," she said. "They're like, 'Are you one of the good agents or one of the political agents?'"
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