The FBI should move its headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) told the “Todd Starnes Show” Tuesday.
The FBI wants to build a new headquarters in the Washington, D.C. area, but the Republican congressman said it will save taxpayer dollars to go to
“They got 20 or 30 of their divisions already there. They frankly already consider it a second headquarters,” Jordan explained to host Todd Starnes.
“So, for goodness sake, we don’t need to be spending a boatload of taxpayer money building the FBI, the same FBI that called parents terrorists who said, if you’re a pro-life Catholic, you’re a radical, you’re an extremist who’s retaliated against whistleblowers who come and talk to us about those issues and who was just cited in that in that a wonderful opinion last Tuesday, July 4th, from the Western District of Louisiana that said the FBI was engaged in the censorship effort of Americans. We really don’t want American tax dollars going for a new building here in the D.C. area. So we thought maybe we should explore this possibility instead.”
Jordan doubled down on not building a new FBI building in Maryland or Virginia.
“It’s just not going to happen with the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives,” he said.
LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JIM JORDAN BELOW:
Below is the full transcript with Jim Jordan from the Todd Starnes Show:
STARNES: [00:40:58] I want to go to the Patriot mobile newsmaker line our good friend, chairman of House Judiciary and a great wrestler in his own right, Congressman Jim Jordan. [00:41:07][9.2]
JORDAN: [00:41:09] Washed up has been is probably more accurate. Good to be with you. I hope you had a great board last week. We got too good to be with. [00:41:14][5.2]
Speaker 1: [00:41:14] I did add, as always, great to have you on the show. I want to start off, though, you got a lot of folks in Huntsville tongues are waggin’ over this report. So you want to move the FBI to Huntsville, do you? [00:41:27][12.7]
JORDAN: [00:41:28] Well, well, I mean, look, they want a new headquarters. And what we’re saying is we actually had staff members actually take a tour down there. They got 20 or 30 of their divisions already there. They frankly already consider it a second headquarters. So, for goodness sake, we don’t need to be spending a boatload of taxpayer money building the FBI, the same FBI that called parents terrorists who said who said, if you’re a pro-life Catholic, you’re a radical, you’re an extremist who’s retaliated against whistleblowers who come and talk to us about those issues and who was just cited in that in that a wonderful opinion last Tuesday, July 4th, from the western District of Louisiana that said the FBI was engaged in the censorship effort of Americans. We really don’t want American tax dollars going for a new building here in the D.C. area. So we thought maybe we should explore this possibility instead. [00:42:16][48.0]
STARNES: [00:42:17] I love the idea and I’m wondering what kind of feedback are you guys getting? [00:42:20][3.8]
JORDAN: [00:42:22] Well, there was talk of this before moving agencies out of DC, out with real Americans, you know, away from the so-called swamp. And so there’s been talk of doing this before. They even tried it, I think, they were looking to try with the Department of Interior, I think moving to out west where, you know, federal government owns most of land out west. It’s crazy. So it’s not a real new concept and one I think maybe would give better accountability to these agencies for the American taxpayer. [00:42:52][29.9]
STARNES: [00:42:53] You see, I love this idea. You know, when I was when I was starting out in journalism, some you know, I got some really good advice. I said, you need to start at a small town newspaper where where everybody knows everybody. The people you’re there were people you report on, you have to go to church with. And it really sort of builds th s accountability. And and I followed that advice. I think I’m you know, I was a better journalist and years later. Years because of that. [00:43:17][24.0]
JORDAN: [00:43:17] Well, of course yeah someone said there’s also there’s also an airstrip down there that you know, where the director needs that private plane that he uses to fly everywhere he can. He can he can land there, too. Someone said. [00:43:29][11.3]
STARNES: [00:43:29] There you go, that big, big meeting, speaking of the FBI and everybody’s wondering what’s what’s going to happen and what do you expect to what do you want to hear from the FBI this week at the hearings? [00:43:42][12.4]
JORDAN: [00:43:44] Well, we’re going to I think we’re going to bring up that. But but understand that the main thing right now is this Congress, the appropriation process is coming up. And there are a number of limitations we want to put on the way The Justice Department can spend taxpayer money. Frankly, we think they should get less money, not not to harm the vast majority of the agents who are doing good work. But the people at the top should just some less money going there. And then there should be restrictions. For example, anyone involved, you shouldn’t be able to use American tax dollars in these various federal agencies to label American speech misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, all these, you know, labels they now have for basically attacking Americans’ First Amendment free speech rights. This was this was central to the judge’s ruling last Tuesday. So the appropriation process is real important. We’re going to focus on that. And then, frankly, they’re trying to reauthorize Section 702 of the FISA program. And there is no way we’re going to be for reauthorizing that in its current form. So there’ll be a lot of questions on that. And of course, the concerns we’ve seen about in things we’ve witnessed from the FBI relative to parents, relative to Catholics, relative to the retaliation against whistleblowers. [00:44:55][71.6]
STARNES: [00:44:56] In all you know in all last. So, I mean, we’re looking at what was, quite frankly, a state police apparatus. Now, it reminds me of something out of East Germany during the Cold War. [00:45:07][10.9]
JORDAN: [00:45:08] Yeah. No, it’s it’s it’s scary. And then when you know what’s frightening, most frightening is when you’re an agent or someone in the government that comes forward as a whistleblower, what happens to you, the retaliation you face? I mean, like this Gary SHAPLEY, who was a 14 year veteran of the IRS, comes and tells us important information on some of the biggest tax evasion, tax fraud cases, international tax fraud cases. And he comes forward and talks to us about what was going on in the Biden investigation and the DOJ kicks him off the case, kicked him off the investigation. Well, that’s that’s a problem. And then we have Garrett O’Boyle who came in. Talk to us about a number of these issues. And they take his clearance, they take his pay. They even take his kids clothes because they wouldn’t let him get access to his belongings when they moved him across the country because they selected him for this new position. And in that time frame, they find out, oh, he’s been talking to Congress. They wouldn’t even let him get his children’s belongings, for goodness sake. That’s how bad it gets. So, yeah, all those subjects are going to come up in tomorrow’s hearing. [00:46:08][59.8]
STARNES: [00:46:09] Any any guidance or are you hearing anything from House oversight on the latest developments with the whistleblower over there? Was Dr. GAO left and the FBI, of course, he says he has this incriminating evidence and now all of a sudden he gets whacked. [00:46:23][14.8]
JORDAN: [00:46:24] He gets he gets charged and he gets charged. I thought Chairman Comer made a good point. Does he get charged with the fair violation? You know, for for this is the registration for if you go to a lobbyist for a foreign entity, he gets charged with that. But they don’t even think about doing that with Hunter Biden. It’s just the tax issue that comes up with Hunter Biden and only for certain years. So, yeah, I think, again, it just it shows why. What is it now? 40%, over 40% of the American people think there is a double standard at the Justice Department and in Todd they think that because there is. [00:46:57][32.9]
STARNES: [00:46:58] It’s a fair point. And then just take a look at what’s happening at the White House where regardless of whose cocaine that is, there’s a that’s a crime scene right now in the White House. And it seems as though there’s there’s a cover up underway. What are you hearing about about the cocaine? [00:47:15][16.4]
JORDAN: [00:47:16] Well, you would think that when Karine Jean-Pierre goes out to do the press briefings, she can at least say, well, we know it’s not the Bidens, it’s not the first family, but they wouldn’t even say that. I think they give something like I think maybe even their reference to Hatch Act or something. It’s like you would think they could answer that fundamental question, but they won’t even comment on that. And I guess supposedly the investigation’s supposed to be wrapped up sometime this week. I mean, I don’t know. I guess you can just predict where it’s going to be wrapped up, even though they don’t they don’t seem to know what what what’s going on. So I don’t know. Just one of the many things we now see from this administration that make absolutely no sense. [00:47:50][34.1]
STARNES: [00:47:51] The level of corruption and and just it’s just unbelievable. And you’re right. I think the American people, Congressman, they look and they say, wait a second, you know, if there’s an average citizen driving around with some cocaine in his pickup truck, that guy’s going to jail. Somebody who doesn’t pay his taxes to the tune of maybe even 25 or $50,000, they’re going to be doing some jail time. And meanwhile, the Biden administration, they they get a pass here. And specifically, the family. [00:48:18][27.0]
JORDAN: [00:48:19] Yeah, no, it’s not supposed to be that way in the greatest country ever. It’s supposed to be equal treatment under the law. I think last fall there was a survey where we’re four out of five Americans. They think that the two tiered system of justice and again, it’s not supposed to operate that way in our in our country. So that’s the big concern. That only changes if the Congress of the United States forces the executive branch, the Department of Justice, to do things differently. And that’s why we’re so focused on the appropriations process and those limitations that I talked about and others. And then, of course, stopping the reauthorization of this 702 program in the FISA, because that’s that’s the program they use to scrutinize illegally scrutinize Americans 204,000 times. They they illegally searched that database on American people. That’s that’s wrong. [00:49:08][48.3]
STARNES: [00:49:08] So I’m just curious. You’re back to the FBI headquarters, that process. So you guys decide, Yeah, we want to relocate to Alabama. What process has to happen? What what’s the next step for that to happen? [00:49:20][11.5]
JORDAN: [00:49:21] Well, it’d have to have to pass the House passed Senate designed by the president to move the headquarters there. And right now, the path that they’re on is to build a new headquarters in either Virginia or Maryland. Here in the D.C. area, where, like the speaker’s been clear, we’ve all been cleared as Republicans on the committee, that we’re not for that in any way, shape or form. We’re saying, okay, if you need some space, some different space, there’s tons of space in Huntsville, Alabama. Like like I said, they already view that as a second headquarters even now. So if you got to move somewhere, move there, we’re not giving you more money for a new, new building. It’s just not going to happen with the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives. [00:50:00][39.2]
STARNES: [00:50:01] So I’m glad to hear that. And again, the power of the purse strings, they are controlled by the Republicans are. Congressman, we’re going to be watching tomorrow. Ought to be one heck of a day up on Capitol Hill. [00:50:10][9.3]
JORDAN: [00:50:12] Great. Thanks, Todd. Take care, brother. [00:50:13][1.3]
STARNES: [00:50:13] All right. There you go, folks. Congressman Jim Jordan. Big day on Capitol Hill tomorrow. The FBI director, Christopher Wray, is going to be testifying. We’re going to try to get to the bottom of a lot of this stuff. It is such a corrupt, corrupt organization and you feel for the rank and file. But there is so much rot. You almost have to rebuild the entire FBI. And I like this idea of of of moving the FBI out of Washington, D.C., outside of the Beltway and moving it to, you know, to a state like Alabama. I think that’s a terrific idea. [00:50:48][35.0]