Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, claimed this week that he has a whistleblower has uncovered a “secret society” inside the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The purpose of the hidden FBI cabal apparently is to dethrone President Donald Trump.
This isn’t the first time Sen. Johnson has politicized the U.S. Department of Justice.
In November 2016, I wrote about how DOJ had targeted a San Antonio trial attorney Mikal Evans after being prompted by Johnson.
BP filed a civil lawsuit against Watts and his law firm in December 2013, asserting that half of the thousands of names submitted for claims were fictitious or falsely made. In February 2013, federal agents raided in his law offices. The evidence pointed to a BP claims office in Biloxi, Miss. that had given the names to Watts’ law firm. Watts thought the investigation was done.
Then in July 2015, Sen. Johnson wrote Attorney General Loretta Lynch complaining that little action had taken place in the case and questioned whether Watts was given preferential treatment because he was a significant political donor to the Democratic Party. John Dowdy, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, indicted Watts and six others accusing them of committing 95 felonies, including conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft and aggravated identity theft.
Before the trial began in July 2016 in Gulfport, Miss., Watts secured the dismissal of 22 of the counts, and during trial convinced the judge to dismiss seven additional counts. After a five-week trial, the federal jury unanimously acquitted Watts, his brother and his legal assistant of all remaining charges.
The jury found Gregory Warren of Lafayette, La., and Thi Houng Le of Grand Bay, Ala., who set up a claims office in Biloxi, guilty on all 66 charges filed against them, including conspiracy, fraud and identity theft.
Read Runaway Justice.