Acrimony between the FBI and the Justice Department was so bad in the waning days of the Obama administration that some agents quit the bureau in frustration, a former G-man says.
One said the relationship fractured under Mr. Holder as agents in field offices across the country did not trust Justice Department lawyers, whom they saw as Washington bureaucrats trying use investigations for political advantage.
The Justice Department had become frustrated at the rank-and-file agents not always following orders and, at times, strongly disagreeing with superiors.
Some in law enforcement, including the FBI, were demoralized by the probes, believing they were risking their lives without any support from Main Justice in Washington, said a former Justice Department lawyer.
The battle intensified in 2014 as the Justice Department and the FBI field office that would later investigate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to war over the death of Eric Garner in New York City.
"Holder and Lynch totally politicized the Justice Department," said Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department attorney who now works with The Heritage Foundation.
One complication is that FBI agents typically deal with local U.S. Attorneys Offices, which are more aggressive and make decisions fairly quickly, said Ron Sievert, a former Justice Department attorney and current University of Texas professor.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/16/obamas-justice-dept-feuded-fbi-agents-quit-politic/
One said the relationship fractured under Mr. Holder as agents in field offices across the country did not trust Justice Department lawyers, whom they saw as Washington bureaucrats trying use investigations for political advantage.
The Justice Department had become frustrated at the rank-and-file agents not always following orders and, at times, strongly disagreeing with superiors.
Some in law enforcement, including the FBI, were demoralized by the probes, believing they were risking their lives without any support from Main Justice in Washington, said a former Justice Department lawyer.
The battle intensified in 2014 as the Justice Department and the FBI field office that would later investigate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to war over the death of Eric Garner in New York City.
"Holder and Lynch totally politicized the Justice Department," said Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department attorney who now works with The Heritage Foundation.
One complication is that FBI agents typically deal with local U.S. Attorneys Offices, which are more aggressive and make decisions fairly quickly, said Ron Sievert, a former Justice Department attorney and current University of Texas professor.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/16/obamas-justice-dept-feuded-fbi-agents-quit-politic/
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