Ex-FBI Official Stuns MSNBC's Morning Joe by Reveling Extent of White House Limits on Kavanaugh Probe
A former top FBI official revealed the investigation into Brett Kavanaugh’s background was severely — and intentionally — limited by the White House.
Frank Figliuzzi, who served as the bureau’s assistant director for counterintelligence, appeared to catch MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough off guard with his claims Monday on “Morning Joe.”
“It’s not the time limit that’s troubling me the most, Joe,” Figliuzzi said. “The FBI is capable of amazing things because of the resources they can surge in a limited amount of time. The thing that’s really bothering me — two things really — is the incredible constraints that are being put on the FBI by the White House.”
Figliuzzi said the weeklong background investigation couldn’t be fully understood without recognizing how the White House was manipulating how it was conducted.
Figliuzzi said the White House was placing other constraints on the FBI before the full U.S. Senate votes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
“In fact, we’re hearing from sources it’s the opposite,” he said. “That her statement is always — is already on record, we don’t need to hear from her again. That’s a terrible mistake to be made, and I want the public to understand.”
Scarborough agreed the White House should be more transparent about its executive oversight of the investigation, but he asked Figliuzzi whether he knew more about the investigation than what had already been reported.
“I am sitting here this morning telling you they are severely limited, and I know they are,” Figliuzzi said. “I know there’s frustration, and I know that the bureau is going to have to come back for every request that they want to add to a very, very short list. The FBI has been handcuffed, and the clock is ticking on this artificial one-week deadline.”
Scarborough asked him point-blank whether he had inside sources confirming the White House had essentially blocked a full investigation.
“Yes,” Figliuzzi said.
