House Republicans investigating what they believe are political abuses inside the Justice Department got to work this week, securing a private interview with one of their top targets.
But the witness, former FBI official Jill Sanborn, is far from a household name. Perhaps hoping to change that are the House Republicans on the recently launched subcommittee investigating the alleged “weaponization” of the federal government against conservatives.
They’ve publicly claimed Sanborn is a key player in a so-called “deep state” plot to use federal law enforcement to target and harass conservatives. She’s just the starting point of what Republicans have argued is a far-reaching “rot” of politicization within the FBI, which they hope to put on full display.
The interview with Sanborn – who fully denies the GOP allegations – is the first known interview by the panel. It shows how the subcommittee is starting to ramp into gear. The first public hearing will be next week, and some in-person witnesses are expected, though the participants haven’t been announced.
The Republican-controlled panel met Wednesday with Sanborn for roughly four hours, a source familiar with the matter said. She’s a veteran FBI agent who spent 24 years in various national security and counterterrorism roles, including overseas postings in Iraq and Pakistan. She retired last year and is now an executive at Roku.
The interview, which GOP Rep. Jim Jordan demanded for months even before he became committee chair, was among those at the top of his wish list for witnesses from the Justice Department and FBI. Jordan has accused Sanborn of being part of a group of politically biased FBI employees who abused their law enforcement powers to boost Democrats and demonize Republicans.
Lawyers for Sanborn have previously said she “vigorously denies” these…
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