Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Chairman Rick Crawford (AR-01), released a majority staff report assessing the FBI’s analytic integrity and investigative standards with respect to the 2017 Congressional Baseball Shooting targeting Republican Members of Congress. This report was developed from the 3,000-page FBI case file provided by Director Patel for Committee review, and lays out the Committee’s conclusion that, under Acting Director Andrew McCabe in 2017, the FBI used false statements, manipulation of known facts, and biased and butchered analysis to support a narrative that shooter James Hodgkinson committed suicide by cop without any nexus to domestic terrorism.

As outlined in the report, the Committee observed that:

1. The FBI investigation failed to substantively interview the shooting victims and other eyewitnesses.
2. The FBI investigation failed to develop a comprehensive timeline of events.
3. The FBI case file was improperly classified, which may have assisted FBI in obfuscating substandard investigative efforts and analysis.

Key Takeaways

• Prior to gathering and reviewing all evidence, the FBI predetermined James Hodgkinson’s motives were “suicide by cop,” a conclusion that is inconsistent with the facts and evidence.
  
• The FBI case file makes clear this case was a premeditated assassination attempt on Republican congressmen by a radical, left-wing political extremist, who was seeking to affect the conduct of our government.
• In its press release, the FBI withheld information from the American public that would have undermined its “suicide by cop” narrative, including that there were no uniformed police present when the shooting occurred, that the FBI had handwritten notes demonstrating Hodgkinson’s political thoughts and motivations, the FBI had 15 photos taken by Hodgkinson took two months prior when he was casing the baseball practice field.  
• The FBI’s cherry-picking on what to disclose or not to disclose to substantiate a conclusion demonstrates politicization and lack of objectivity that the Committee has observed in other IC analytic products for high-profile cases. 
• With no new information, the FBI changed its determination from “suicide by cop” to domestic violent extremism in 2021.

“First, I want to express my deepest appreciation to Director Patel for pulling back the curtain and providing the Committee with the documents we have been requesting for years,” said Chairman Crawford. “I also want to thank the Members of Congress who have for years fought to get the facts of this case. There is no reasonable or acceptable explanation for why the FBI stonewalled the Committee for so long. Unfortunately, this report confirms that under previous FBI leadership, the Bureau completely botched the investigation into this politically motivated attack which threatened the lives of numerous Republican Members of Congress, staff, and bystanders. It is unacceptable and alarming that the FBI would approach any investigation within its purview with this complete disregard and lack of investigative integrity. Since joining this Committee, it has been one of my top priorities to address the degradation of the intelligence community’s analytical integrity. There have been far too many instances of failure to document the facts and present them in a manner unclouded by personal, political, or institutional bias. I am encouraged by this act of transparency from Director Patel, and I am hopeful this indicates the tides are starting to change within IC leadership. This Committee will continue to conduct its rigorous oversight responsibility.”

“I would like to thank President Trump and Director Patel for putting an end to the FBI’s obstruction of Congressional oversight on this issue," said Oversight & Investigations Chairman Jackson. "After conducting this assessment, it is clear why the FBI was holding this case file so close, but the American people deserve a government that is accountable and transparent. Oversight of the intelligence community must ensure those in that community are held to the same standard. In my role as Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman, we will continue to hold the intelligence community accountable and ensure intelligence assessments are objective and free from political bias. I look forward to Director Patel uncovering how political bias found its way into this high-profile case.”

Read the full report here.

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