Two prominent Republican senators have called on Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to launch investigations into alleged criminal leaks of sensitive and potentially classified information to the media before the 2024 presidential election, as well as breaches of FBI information-sharing policies by a former senior agent.
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) outlined their concerns in a letter sent this week, spotlighting what they describe as systemic hypocrisy and misconduct within the FBI.
The senators’ demands center on two key issues. First, they point to news reports from late 2024 that contained what they call “potentially classified U.S. intelligence,” suggesting that Justice Department and FBI officials selectively shared non-public details with the press while stonewalling congressional oversight.
“The FBI repeatedly lectures Congress, without any legitimate basis, that it can’t share information with Congress because the matter is an ongoing investigation,” Johnson and Grassley wrote. They argue this double standard undermines accountability and have urged Bondi and Patel to open a criminal investigation to identify and punish those responsible for the leaks.
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Second, the senators zeroed in on former Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault, accusing him of violating FBI policies by sharing sensitive, non-public investigative information with a private citizen—identified as someone with whom he was romantically involved—via his official FBI email account.
Legally protected whistleblower disclosures, cited in the letter, revealed that Thibault sent materials marked “For Official Use Only,” along with personnel names and details of active probes, to this individual.
“Thibault’s conduct exemplifies the FBI’s ‘do as I say, not as I do’ hypocrisy,” the senators wrote, slamming the agency for withholding similar information from Congress under the guise of confidentiality while allowing such breaches internally.
Johnson and Grassley highlighted the FBI’s inconsistent stance, noting, “The FBI has asserted to Congress that [For Official Use Only] information and FBI email accounts and personnel names should remain non-public.
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Yet, here, Thibault sent all of that type of information to a private citizen while the FBI stiff-arms Congress and the American people.” They argue this incident reflects broader cultural issues within the agency, particularly under former leadership, and have called for a thorough probe into Thibault and his associates’ actions.
Adding to their case, the senators released details of an award given to Special Agent Walter Giardina, who worked on the Mueller and Jack Smith investigations targeting Donald Trump. They suggest such recognition underscores a pattern of politically motivated conduct within the FBI, further justifying their push for reform under new leadership.
Patel, a Trump loyalist confirmed as FBI Director earlier this month, and Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General, are seen as receptive to the senators’ concerns given their alignment with Trump’s agenda to overhaul federal agencies.
The letter arrives amid heightened scrutiny of the FBI following Trump’s return to the White House. Johnson and Grassley, long-time critics of the agency’s handling of politically sensitive cases, have previously exposed alleged bias in investigations involving Trump and Hunter Biden.
Their latest move amplifies calls for transparency and accountability, though it risks reigniting partisan debates over the FBI’s role. Critics may argue the senators are leveraging their oversight authority to settle political scores, while supporters see it as a necessary step to restore public trust.
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As of Friday, neither the Justice Department nor the FBI had responded publicly to the letter.
With Bondi and Patel newly installed, the investigations—if pursued—could mark a significant shift in how the Trump administration addresses leaks and internal misconduct, potentially reshaping the FBI’s relationship with Congress and the public in the years ahead.
For now, Johnson and Grassley’s demands set the stage for a high-stakes showdown over the future of federal law enforcement.
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