The House Judiciary Committee is preparing to subpoena the FBI for information on former New York counterintelligence chief Charles McGonigal, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiring to violate US sanctions while working with a Russian oligarch.
The panel led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), initially asked the bureau in February for related files on McGonigal after he was indicted in the Big Apple for his work with Oleg Deripaska — and in D.C. for allegedly concealing money paid to him by a former member of the Albanian intelligence service.
A spokesman for the committee told Business Insider Tuesday that the bureau’s response to the initial request was insufficient.
“Both McGonigal’s serious misconduct as a high-level senior FBI official, and the possibility that McGonigal received a generous plea offer from the Justice Department in both cases, raise significant concerns that the FBI and the Department may be attempting to conceal the true extent of McGonigal’s misconduct in order to avoid further reputational harm to the Bureau,” Jordan wrote in a letter Tuesday to FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Rep. Jim Jordan publicly questioned whether the FBI had broached the Charles McGonigal issue to minimize reputational damage. Getty Images
McGonigal was one of the first FBI agents to learn that an official with former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign had claimed Russia had “dirt” on then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, sparking an investigation that spanned the Republican presidency.
The former FBI chief pleaded guilty on August 15 to one count of conspiracy to launder money and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Federal prosecutors said McGonigal also sought to remove Deripaska from the US sanctions list, where he was placed in 2018 over Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
McGonigal’s allegations (center) have sparked bipartisan intrigue given her potential knowledge of FBI inquiries surrounding Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.Gregory P. Mango
McGonigal admitted in court that he pocketed more than $17,000 while helping Deripaska gather information damaging to rivals – money taken in violation of sanctions, which he claims took steps to hide.
As a result, he could face up to five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 14.
McGonigal has officially pleaded not guilty in the DC case, but is rumored to be eyeing a plea deal there as well.
McGonigal is accused of money laundering and sanctions violations while working for Oleg Deripaska.AP
On Tuesday, Jordan resubmitted his February request for related documents and briefings on the matter by October 3.
“If you refuse to voluntarily submit the requested documents and information, the Committee may be forced to consider the use of compulsory process,” Jordan added.
In addition to looking at McGonigal’s history with the Trump-Russia investigation, other lawmakers are interested in the work she might do investigating Clinton.
Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee in June.Rod Lamkey – CNP / MEGA
In February, Sen. Sheldon White House (D-RI) argued in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that McGonigal “may have had knowledge of or participated in political activities to harm then-candidate Hillary Clinton and aid then-candidate Donald Trump.”
Since taking the reins of the powerful committee, Jordan has repeatedly clashed with the FBI, accusing the bureau of bias against conservatives.
Neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI immediately responded to requests for comment.
Jim Jordan also chairs the federal government’s subcommittee on weaponry.Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock
Last week, Jordan subpoenaed FBI agents for testimony about the bureau’s alleged efforts to “censor” content on social media.
On Wednesday, the Judiciary Committee is set to grill Garland on a range of key issues such as the Hunter Biden investigation, the legal case against Trump and the government’s use of weapons.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
