[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 140 (Tuesday, September 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5102-H5103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION BY THE FBI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Rose) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to a recent 
report from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General 
putting the Biden-Harris two-tiered justice system on full display.
  The recent report reveals that the FBI inadequately handled sensitive 
and classified materials. I repeat: the FBI mishandled classified 
documents according to their own inspector general report.
  According to the memo: ``Electronic storage media slated for disposal 
are not physically secured. Nonaccountable assets slated for 
destruction were stored on pallets without sufficient internal physical 
security for an extended period of time. For example, a pallet 
containing extracted internal hard drives marked nonaccountable had 
been stored for 21 months and had wrapping that was torn and left 
open.''
  This you can see on the poster, Madam Speaker.
  The report continues: ``This facility is shared with other FBI 
operations, such as logistics, mail, and information technology 
equipment fulfillment, and had almost 400 persons with access as of May 
2024, including 28 task force officers and 63 contractors from at least 
17 companies. Both the FBI supervisor and contractor confirmed that 
they would not be aware if someone was to

[[Page H5103]]

take hard drives from the pallets because these assets are not 
accounted for or tracked.''

  Madam Speaker, think about that last line. An FBI supervisor admitted 
that if someone took a hard drive containing classified information 
from the pallet pictured in the poster next to me that almost 400 
people had access to, no one would ever know.
  Pictured is a pallet full of sensitive electronic storage media which 
most likely includes hordes of classified information. It is hard to 
know because the FBI didn't bother to mark the media in this pallet 
with standard classification markings. If you look closely, this pallet 
is marked ``nonaccountable,'' which is a perfect metaphor for the 
Biden-Harris FBI: unaccountable.
  Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the Biden-Harris two-
tiered justice system. The FBI was giddy to rush to prosecute the 
former President for allegedly mishandling classified information. Yet, 
when the FBI is caught red-handed mishandling classified information by 
their own inspector general, there has yet to be a simple charge filed, 
leaving Americans wondering if there will ever be any accountability.
  Will the FBI agents responsible for mishandling classified material 
be criminally prosecuted?
  Will anyone hold senior leadership at the FBI accountable for 
allowing for the widespread mishandling of classified information?
  ``Rules for thee, but not for me'' seems to be the motto at the J. 
Edgar Hoover Building these days.
  As a result of these troubling revelations, I have sent a letter to 
FBI Director Wray highlighting the hypocrisy of the FBI's swift action 
against the former President, while individuals at the FBI have 
mishandled classified information with no accountability at all.
  Madam Speaker, I include in the Congressional Record the text of my 
letter to Director Wray.

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                Washington, DC, September 9, 2024.
     In re Mishandling of Classified Information by the Federal 
         Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

     Christopher Wray, Director,
     Federal Bureau of Investigation,
     Washington, DC
       Dear Director Wray, I am writing to express my deep concern 
     and disappointment regarding the findings of the Department 
     of Justice Office of the Inspector General's (DOJ OIG) 
     Management Advisory Memorandum, which highlights the FBI's 
     inadequate inventory management and disposition procedures 
     for electronic storage media containing sensitive and 
     classified information.
       The report's findings are alarming and suggest a lack of 
     accountability and physical security over sensitive 
     materials, including hard drives, thumb drives, and floppy 
     disks. The fact that extracted internal hard drives are not 
     tracked, and the FBI cannot confirm their proper destruction, 
     is unacceptable.
       As you are undoubtedly aware, the Biden Administration and 
     the FBI gleefully rushed to charge President Donald Trump 
     with allegedly mishandling classified information. Now that 
     individuals at the FBI have clearly mishandled classified 
     information, surely each culpable individual will be 
     criminally prosecuted, correct? You must realize that failing 
     to prosecute each individual involved in this reckless and 
     wanton disregard for safe handling of classified information 
     procedures will further erode the already significantly 
     diminished trust Americans have left in the FBI.
       I request that you provide answers to the following 
     questions:
       1. How did these inadequate procedures go undetected for so 
     long?
       2. What measures will be taken to ensure accountability for 
     all electronic storage media containing sensitive and 
     classified information?
       3. How many individuals will be disciplined for their role 
     in mishandling classified information?
       4. Will any individuals face criminal prosecution for their 
     actions?
       5. What steps will be taken to improve physical security at 
     FBI-secure controlled facilities?
       6. How will the FBI ensure that all electronic storage 
     media are properly labeled with classification markings?
       7. What training will be provided to FBI personnel to 
     address these deficiencies?
       8. How will the FBI verify that all extracted internal hard 
     drives have been properly destroyed?
       9. What measures will be taken to limit access to sensitive 
     materials at shared facilities?
       10. What timeline can we expect for implementing the 
     recommended improvements?
       11. How will you ensure that accountability extends beyond 
     lower-level employees and includes senior leadership, up to 
     and including the Director's office, for the systemic 
     failures identified in the report?
       The Tennesseans I represent, as well as all other 
     Americans, deserve a prompt response to these questions, and 
     as their representative in Congress, I expect to hear from 
     you soon with regard to the actions you will take to address 
     these serious concerns.
           Sincerely,
                                            Congressman John Rose.

  Mr. ROSE. Madam Speaker, it is time to end the two-tiered justice 
system in America exemplified by the FBI's prosecution of those 
considered political enemies by the Biden-Harris administration while 
the FBI has now been caught mishandling classified information in 
hordes.
  I hope that the relevant congressional committees will hold hearings 
on this matter, and I call on FBI Director Wray to respond back to my 
letter as quickly as possible addressing the issues that I have 
outlined.
  I am sorry to the American people for this abhorrent two-tiered 
justice system that we see on display from the Biden-Harris FBI and the 
Biden-Harris Justice Department.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind Members to refrain 
from engaging in personalities toward nominees for the Office of the 
President, including by making reference to other sources that would 
have been out of order if spoken in the Member's own words.

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