“Accountability Is Coming”: Sen. Josh Hawley Warns DOJ and FBI to Preserve Documents Amid Trump Transition
Michael Brochstein Sipa USA file photo
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) issued a stern warning to the Justice Department (DOJ) and the FBI, instructing them to preserve all documents from the Biden administration and promising that “accountability is coming” under a second Trump administration. In a letter directed at Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Hawley accused both agencies of engaging in unprecedented abuses of the justice system under their leadership.
“Under your leadership, the DOJ and FBI have engaged in unprecedented abuses of the justice system — ranging from the criminal prosecution of President-elect Trump to bad-faith prosecutions of pro-life Americans for peacefully protesting abortion, and attempts to recruit undercover informants in Catholic parishes,” Hawley wrote.
“This is a sordid track record, and the American people deserve the truth about how it happened and who was involved.” Hawley specifically referenced the prosecution and conviction of anti-abortion activists who blocked entrances to clinics in Tennessee, a violation of a 1994 federal law designed to protect civil rights.
He expressed concern that as the Trump administration prepares to take office again, there may be efforts to destroy documents that could expose wrongdoing within the DOJ and FBI. “With sunlight now on the horizon, I’m not surprised by last-ditch efforts to stonewall the incoming administration. But those efforts will fail,” Hawley said.
“As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who will hold the chairmanship of a Subcommittee in the forthcoming Congress, I intend to investigate your respective agencies’ illicit actions over the past several years. If your staff are presently destroying relevant documents, then the American people will learn about that too, and will learn who gave the orders to do so.”
Hawley concluded his letter by demanding that both Garland and Wray take immediate action to preserve all relevant documents, records, and materials generated during their tenures in office. “You must immediately take all necessary steps to preserve all documents, records, and other materials generated by your agencies during your respective tenures in office,” he wrote.
“You must cease any bad-faith document destruction. And you should prepare for the real justice to come.” Hawley’s letter coincides with the nomination of former GOP congressional staffer and Trump loyalist Kash Patel as FBI director. His appointment has raised concerns due to his history of promoting conspiracy theories and his vow to target journalists critical of Trump.
