Weaponization of government panel to hold first hearing on DOJ's alleged attack on American civil liberties

The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government is set to hold its first hearing Thursday to hear from top lawmakers, FBI officials and legal experts on how the Justice Department has allegedly attacked American civil liberties.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, created the subcommittee that he also chairs. The hearing is set for Thursday at 12:00 p.m.

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Fox News has learned that the hearing will feature two sets of witnesses.

The first panel will include testimony from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. The two senators have teamed together in high-profile investigations involving the FBI, Justice Department, Hunter Biden, Big Tech and more.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, who has been critical of the government for activities that have allegedly undermined freedom of speech, will join Johnson and Grassley on the first panel.

The second panel will feature George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley, who will focus on censorship in the United States; former FBI agent Thomas Baker, who will speak to the need for an independent bureau; and former FBI agent Nicole Parker, who left the bureau after believing it had become weaponized for political purposes.

Jordan said Tuesday that dozens of whistleblowers have spoken to the Judiciary Committee about "how the Justice Department is now operating and operated in such a political fashion and manner."

Jordan also pointed to the Twitter files, which he said show that "big tech and big government are colluding to keep information from ‘We, the people.’"

"The most egregious example took place prior to the 2020 presidential election where they kept that information from the country just days and weeks before the most important election," Jordan said, referring to Twitter's censorship of the New York Post story revealing the existence of Hunter Biden’s laptop, and details about his overseas business dealings.

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Jordan added that Big Tech "suppressed a story" and said the action was "limiting Americans free speech rights."

"When I think bout the accountability that we plan to bring to this administration, I just think, in the broad sense…everything has gotten worse," Jordan said. "In two years time, we went from a secure border to no border; we went from safe streets to record crime; we went from stable prices to record inflation."

He added, "We have a government that now, I believe, is targeting the very people it is supposed to serve."

Jordan said that Republicans in the House plan to hold the government accountable and ensure that there can be "equal treatment under the law in the great country."

A draft of Sen. Johnson’s opening statement obtained by Fox News Digital shows the senator plans to explain the importance of recognizing "corrupt individuals within federal agencies are not acting alone."

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"They operate as vital partners of the left wing political movement that includes most members of the mainstream media, Big Tech social media giants, global institutions and foundations, Democratic Party operatives and elected officials," Johnson plans to say.

Johnson said the Twitter Files revealed that these actors "work in concert to defeat their political opponents and promote left wing ideology and government control over our lives."

Johnson told Fox News Digital that he plans to use multiple examples to make his case, including former FBI Director James Comey’s move to edit the exoneration statement for Hillary Clinton after the FBI's investigation into the former secretary of state’s mishandling of classified documents – referred to in the bureau as the "Midyear Exam."

In a draft of the statement, Comey described Clinton's behavior as "grossly negligent," but eventually settled on "extremely careless."

Johnson said he will also refer to the FBI's investigation into whether former President Trump and members of his campaign colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

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Robert Mueller was later appointed as special counsel to take over the FBI's probe into the matter. After nearly two years, the investigation yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Special Counsel John Durham has been investigating the origins of the FBI Trump-Russia probe since 2019. His investigation is ongoing.

Johnson will also discuss what he describes as a "sabotage" of his and Grassley’s investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Republicans say the subcommittee will help root out "abuse and weaponization" of President Biden's federal agencies.

The panel is expected to investigate not only how the executive branch has gathered information on citizens but how it has worked with other bodies, including private sector companies, to "facilitate action against American citizens."

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The resolution creating the subcommittee states that the panel will investigate how the executive branch agencies "collect, compile, analyze, use, or disseminate information about citizens of the United States, including any unconstitutional, illegal, or unethical activities committed against citizens of the United States."

The resolution also notes that the subcommittee’s work will include "a full and complete investigation and study" and a final report to be submitted by Jan. 2, 2025.