FBI-SWAT veteran suspended after refusing to participate in allegedly politicized raid, claims FBI is exaggerating extremist threats

FBI Special Agent Steve Friend, a 12-year veteran of the agency and a SWAT team member, was reportedly suspended on Monday, stripped of his gun and badge, and marched out of the FBI field office in Daytona Beach, Florida. He had neither conspired against a national security adviser nor tampered with evidence, but rather refused to participate in an allegedly politicized and excessive raid or take actions he believed to contravene agency policy and trample citizens' rights.

This 37-year-old father of two is among 20 FBI whistleblowers who recently have come forward alleging that the FBI has become both significantly politicized and engaged in various abuses, malpractices, and questionable tactics.

The whistleblower complaint

On Wednesday, Friend filed a whistleblower complaint with DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz. The New York Post, which obtained a copy of the complaint, reported that Friend outlined how investigations with which he was involved, related to the January 6 protests, had allegedly violated numerous FBI policies.