Hawley Grills Former FBI Employee & Judicial Nominee On Hunter Biden, FBI Monitoring Of Catholics
On 7/12/2023, U.S. Sen Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, asked the nominee about the Hunter Biden laptop. Brandon S. Long is nominee to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Long responded that under the ethics code for federal law enforcement, he is forbidden from answering questions about ongoing investigations. Hawley would have none of that. “You are permitted to answer. You don’t want to answer because it would be inconvenient for you,” Hawley said. “I am absolutely stunned by this. And for that reason, among others, I cannot support your nomination.”
Hawley: She asked you if you participated in any meetings at all related to the Hunter Biden laptop. Was that a yes or a no?
Witness: … it’s not appropriate for me. And I’m, I’m bound,
Hawley: wait, wait, wait, wait, why isn’t it appropriate for you? It is a Judicial nominee that said anything to do with any case that you have, right? I’m asking you what you did in your former employment as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the FBI director. Did you participate in any meetings related to the Hunter Biden laptop?
Witness: Senator, again, as a Department of Justice
Hawley: sounds like you’re not going to answer me. Is this going to be a “I’m not going to answer you” type deal?
Witness: Senator, I’m bound to follow the code of judicial conduct.
Hawley: The code of judicial conduct doesn’t have any bearing on this question whatsoever. What possible bearing could it have? That’s a question mark.
Witness: Uh, well, Senator, uh, as the code of judicial conduct requires integrity and independence in the Judiciary, it requires judicial officers to act with
Hawley: it’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card, but you don’t want to answer questions when you’re under oath before a committee who’s considering you for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. I’m going to try one last time. Did you participate in any meetings during your time as Deputy Chief of Staff or acting Chief of Staff related to the Hunter Biden laptop, yes or no?
Witness: Senator, again, I’m not permitted to answer.
Hawley: Oh, you are permitted to answer. You don’t want to answer because it would be inconvenient for you. And I have to tell you, I find that extremely troubling, Mr. Long, extremely troubled. Not a good start. Let’s see if we can do better on a different topic.
While you were at the Department of Justice or, sorry, at the FBI in your capacity as Deputy Chief of Staff and acting Chief of Staff, did you ever observe FBI resources being used to monitor pro-life groups or pro-life individuals?
Witness: No, Senator, I don’t have any information about that.
Hawley: What about Catholic parishes or Catholic groups?
Witness: No, Senator.
Hawley: So now I notice you’re happy to answer those questions, but you’re not happy to answer the Hunter Biden question. They’re not qualitatively different. I’d just like to note that for the record. You familiar with this memo generated by the FBI field office in January of 2023 regarding the infiltration of Catholic parishes by the FBI? I’m sure you’ve seen this in the news.
Witness: I’ve not seen that memo, but I’ve seen news reports relating to that memo.
Hawley: Well, let me tell you what’s in the memo. In the memo, the FBI field office in Richmond recommends infiltrating Catholic parishes that it deems traditionalists associated with the Latin Mass, recruiting FBI informants within those parishes to monitor speech within the parishes. The House Judiciary Committee has later learned, this is in a letter dated April 10, 2023, that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis in this memo, and the FBI has proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy. Did any of this occur while you were at the FBI?
Witness: Senator, I’ve not been at the FBI in over—
Hawley: Semi-questions. Did any of this occur while you were at the FBI? Did you see anything like this happening while you were at the FBI?
Witness: I did not, Senator.
Hawley: Do you think it’s appropriate?
Witness: Senator, I haven’t worked at the FBI.
Hawley: And I’m not asking you that. I’m asking you, do you think that this—do you think this is appropriate? Do you think it’s appropriate to recruit informants in Catholic parishes?
Hawley: I cannot believe your answers. I cannot believe that anybody who would come before this committee would look at this and look at what they have tried to do and just listen to the Attorney General, for heaven’s sake, and would not say it’s grossly inappropriate. This should never happen. I’m absolutely stunned by this. And for that reason, among others, I cannot support your nomination. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Hawley Grills Nominee On Hunter Biden Laptop, FBI Monitoring Of Catholics