Data of abroad and hels talked about extortion cost is a children and free speechacilities so the Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. [background sounds]. Is meeting us atudier today we continue to resort to manys traditional oversight role was her try to work on and director read customer to march for this committee since january of 2021 and out of begin by think you for the work fbi employees to protect america into a folder constitution and the the fbi is facingu which of weapon eyes for political purposes. 35 dangerous calls to the agency. There are peopleng to that sort of rhetoric is irresponsible charge has real concept just last month commitment tennessee pled guilty to december 2022 want to talk the fbi office until the agents involved in the investigation of his codefendants participation enin january 6 insurrection in his clinical plays a Critical Role of holding the fbi American People and i urge my colleagues exercise this oversight and responsible andrespectful manner read my colleagues as well not to engage in conduct unbecoming of the membersur committee. The socia to raise is a troubling increase of hate crimes in america including anti somatic the net i and islamic attacks in the wake of the middle eastern conflict. In fbi must continue to responsively to the threats pretty we still pretty perfect murder of palestinian american. The violent attack on his mothe by man who regarded him civilly because the National Origin and listener support and moment as a recovering from their injur and these three Young Palestinian descent were shot walking to dinner. When the reject tumor wearing Traditional Jewish Community is also experiencing Customer Research threats and vandalism printed and for las vegas men was recently indicted for making threatening calls were jewish colleagues and i strongly support the fbis critical working on combating all of these threats. Theres a nato continued improvements especially answering them or hate crimes arellor enforcement same time that the fbi addresses theat source, must also respond to international and just last indictment of proven National Accused of conspiring to the direction of an Indian Government official. As ive said many times this Many Political violence and all forms isnacceptable and having any individual based on their Race Ethnicity or, sexuaty nationality, religion or disability his consistent with the values america every community deserves to feel safe in the fbi plays an Important Role in playing with thats security and is tried by the full version of bipartisan saver communities act fbi is conducted more than 100,000 enhanced background hundred 21 keeping firearms on the hands of riveted people theres more work to be done a diorctesterday at the pi headquarters and administration of the fbi in theha section 72 and there is no question sor collecting intelligence and protecting americans and appreciate the reforms you put in place with pfizer court to address with what they called widespread and persistent violations to the rules and i stillpr remain about protecting the communications of innocent americans those in surveillance forward to continuing to workize and as you with significant reforms needed to protect the privacy in terms of americans now turn the Ranking Membernk you mr. Chairman and welcome inspector. [laughter] director. Appreciate that a notice top of the market people and about the dangers we face with the fbis doingy and how weak can make you stronger in the face of a lot of correct. You will be asked about those fbis role of monitoring nations the going crossfire hurricane things in the early conservative world so what move forward be asking tough questions and iasate being here today is chairman, one thing will be talking about threads is a broken border and mr. Chairman since President Biden has taken office, we had 6. 6 encounters aliens the southern border. As larger than 33 states. Are on paid the last seven days, have been averaging about 3500 a day play that predict we are looking at 3. 4 million this year that rate. 10 million and not cutting getaways so were negotiating how to help ukraine get me and for helping ukraine in al help our allies in ukraine make sense to me that getting the to me and helping israel makes all of this is the world Border Security i supplemental wildly part. Negotiations rappreciate the efforts made great progress on the side of the Democratic Party seems to be unwilling to address the key problem, parole. The statute is pretty the secretary has the ability to throw an individual is supposed to be an individ based on a casebycase basis urgent humanitarian reasons or significant publicy benefit. This chance is the provision alejandro mayorkas, to give over to 40000 people from co bone. He become handy in nicaragua and venezuela. But it is not meant to be used in fashion why are we in an impasse. The Biden Administration refuses to follow the law that this giv sent up this concept of humanitarian parole because it is theirany peoplee coming out compared to before. The belief is determine if really good chance of tension release catch and release of the policy apply for initial screening is way too low in your case be heard heres released into the united state United States when we run out of space or they just one oh oh people in the governors and mayors of large cities are complaining. But their answer is just moremigration. You will not get a deal from the Republican Party us we change the policies to 9500 whatever today coming to our border. When we looking for money talk to you were looking for policy changes that will spread throughout the world and people will no longer who lives and pay thousands dollars for human traffickers come to show up in a border read that dennis will try to do. You do that. You clearly is a party do not want to change the policies that are trapping so many people as inhumane. I think you were people to the story that is not to the american we are given the threats that exist in the world that is exceedingly dangerous and lossorder and all this, the incompetent ones this way the biden and ministration i think a lot of smart people the bidention and they wanted this way to be able to have the ability to use perl humanitarian theres no such creature that allows for a blanket admission in the country as a tool to control the flow and they are notested in deterring father just want to control it. And manage theni flow. And we on this side, there are some of republicans open for any ukraine there in a distinct minority in the i think the house is at least evenly divided that if we had a Border Security proposal as part of the that address our own National Security needs hearing god think you would get a very large boat so you do not need any lecturesd for crane i got it. I understand and you are right. I understand what we should help is really understand what should help taiwan and but you clearly did not seem to understand. Not going to accept, the situation ator c by nightmare in the making that is unfair to the border commitment and Community Staff look like this and so diverged Governor Abbott was been on the texas. Moving to arizona to make it real to object to making the policy change. Chicago has had a lot of leaked Illegal Immigrants t a lot of senators refusing to fix a broken border season pretty much immune from the problem. That i having to deal with hundreds of thousands of people coming across and wreaking havoc on the border printed no alltime high coming into this country through broken border made in china for the most part. And were never going to stop the flow of fentanyl is that we regain control of our border so to those. Following these negotiations will be out of the her stock Going Forward in a fashion until the Biden Administration is willing to change the policies that are leading less todays 10200. Again, students,p atheorder those are the ones that we know about. Seventys almost 2500 on average. And on track to do 3. 6 million come there will be no deal. Until you change the policies problem. That is too far for you sorry. Too far for america and the americann people demanding to regain control of a border where we have lostcontrol. An American People one have israel generally speaking, on ukraine think ukraine would carry the with more security. There somebody threats the director will talk about read people are asking in the hallway all of the time, where a we. Negotiating a border stock policy changes that would lead to people not coming of the levels they are coming today. Is enacted. And that is where we are at you seem to be comfortable my friends on side by making small changes to big problem. Meddling around the edges of this problem felix and ukraine without any bullets. Your really robust ukraine. But when it comes to our borders, youre playing a game during the least amount possible victor 12 of us off and they have been. Involved in this issue for 20 years missing out about immigration reform. Needs broken border anytime threats to our nation are at an alltime high and it started with afgh fire. Multiple fronts and getting worse. Every day. There will be no assistance to other nations who are deserving until we assist our own nation andhis the least that you can try to take ten or 12 of us off is not going to work and we are united here divided on the ukraine i was a two thirds of our congress ago for a package including ukraine and if you had real Border Security and heres the have real Border Security looks like self senator, and and so does everybody else over here and so you are making a choice. You nation at risk. The consequences is going to be devastating to the world. The mechanics were todays hearing the swearing director news five minutes to have an Opening Statement and will turn to the members please will have seven minutes please try to remain within your allotted time director would please to be sworn. Andto this test is truth the hold total interest nothing but the truth so help me the g wreck that the record reflected director his hands are in the affirmative i know recognize him. Haning chairman and Ranking Member grandma members of the committee that i am proud to be here today repr fbi of the threats year olds 38000 men and women tackle every day are more complex and evolving more quickly than ever before we continue to work relentlessly to see ahead those threats and outpace our adversaries and for example, last year we distracted over 40 percent more Cyber Operations and arreser criminals than the year before. The past two years we have seized enough fentanyl toeople. That is 80 percent of all americans pretty were also focused on that emanate from the Impact Communities all of the country and things like piloted games and human traffickers the same time, city drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations, since october 7th we are working around the clock to structural digital talks by goes inspired by hamas horrific terrorist attacks in israel. In recent years we seen an increase in hate crime investigations including a big chunk Jewish Community. And that is a troubling trend we will focus on before october 7th of hundred is gotten worse in the month sentence. I could go on and on about the imported for the fbis dedicated professionals are doing across the spectrum of threats each and every day to protect their fellow americans. The time morning about what he emphasized the importance of one tool in particular indispensable to our efforts, took about the threats posed by foreign adversaries when that will expire in just a few short weeks if congress does not act fast that is authorities to be if youre committee knows 72 now since tuesday still ahead foreign actors located outside of the United States and co say threats to National Security. And the expiratio authorities would be devastating to the fbis aid to protect americans from those threats pretty so mace mean by that when an overseas cyber criminal reaches transportation, a public utility, raymond Childrens Hospital sonos he was the tool we use to find the victims get them what they needed to get their systems back u running. And just as important to help identify the next targett so that they can defend themselves against an attack is just one recent cyber case for his income is to love the fbi to looking to more than 300 victims and every should add many of those crucial victims patients ability to conduct u. S. Personal queries of our existing 72 collection. When it comes to foreign adversaries, like iran, whose actions are crossing whole host and so grown more rec seeking to assassinate high level officials kidnap and conduct Cyber Attacks here in the United States, for the peoples republic of china which poses my viewing generational front tour economicnd security and stripping the fbi of it 72 authorities would be a form of unilateral disarmament. And take the threat of International Terrorism from a seven oh two is key to our ability to detect a foreign territory terrorist organization overseas directing operative here to carry out an attack in our own back yard. In u. S. Percent increase in particular may provide the Critical Link that allows us to identifyat the intended target or build out the network of attacker so that we can stop them before they strike and kill americans heard given critical courses on those who we are committed to being good stewards of our a whole host of changes to address unacceptable compliance incidents and limiting members we have seen with their own eyes and live demonstrations systems can put our systems and enhance training and oversight and approval requirements and adopted new Accountability Measures print we saw the rented office of internal auditing been focus specifically pfizer compliance most of the declassified report come out for the past year or so, involve placers, three reforms. And i have been encouraged, the more recent contained in showing these that those reforms and those changes have had. Most recently declassified opinion for the pfizer court for instance shows a 98 percent compliance rate and observes the reforms are putting the court here having the desire pretty the two most recent department of justice semiannual reports winds now show a greater 90 percent com rate. And were proud of the progress we made some part but we are by no means done ongoing effort and are determined to work with congress to get the right part but enter this critical phase of the renewal process it isgo imperative that we not undercut these effectiveness of this essential tool or requirement are some of the restrictions that would paralyze us in our ability to tackle fastmoving threats like the ones i just described because crucial to our ability to use this information to protect americans is our ability to review it promptly and efficiently. Be clear newport has ever held warrants required for the twoto query 72 data pretty lawfully and in fact, every court that is consider seven oh two in its current form, pfizer according court review three different ls has found 72, to be constitutional. So restricting two to review what is already in her collection that would be legislative policy choice. And if thatns is the path that is chosen what will he say to the families whose loved ones care was sabotaged when the hospital was signal line by foreign adversaries the fbi was audible to stop that cyber attack. What is the justification for not using every lawful tool to stop china from stealing our technology and underlying our freedoms because i can assure you, that we is the holding back in the peers his hands behind and what if there were a terrorist attack that we had shot to prevent get a ticket because if you was a private disability under 72, actually information already sitting in her holdings. Now i was in the fbi headquarters 22 years ago on 911. I have spoken with families of victims of that horrific attack. And before that attack, wellintentioned policymakers the choice to build all preventing access to National Security information sitting in our partners holdings. I bring that up because allowing seven oh two to lapse thing in a way that undermines its would be akin to laying bricks to rebuild another pre buddy possibly say families if there was another attack that we couldve prevented if we can talk in the way the building to effectively use a tool of the course have consistently been constitutionalev because this awful result that is what is at stake with the reauthorization of seven and two. And as the threats from foreign adversaries our homeland, as he continue to involve the agility and effectiveness of seven oh two, will be essential to the fbi ability really are mandate for the American People, to them safe for years to come and we owe it to them, to make sure that we have the tools we need that so thank you for having me to look to your questions thank you very much director. Thank as i guess me to headquarters in the demonstrations linked to advancements in terms of seven oh two try to cover any concern about the constitutional issues and i still some of those concerns as youurat might expect that we have interpretive to the Current System that we thank you so reasonable has an emergency exception is should there are issues of grief National Security and cannot waiting for the process to continue as a turn to the victimization that we hello and some of the makeups to go forward collection of information. Na and you know the situations should be and since by send amendment reauthorization act of 2018yard required to obtain a court ord searches in a narrow subset of cases involving National Security does the fbi ever obtainor court order in order to perform u. S. Search of 72n the context. The best of my knowledge of god things off away that we use 72. The correct answer zero guess and National Intelligence an annual statistical transversely report in 2020 field is been triggered approximately 100 times is that true. That i got. Pat the number i think they were well involved existence is that all occurred before the reforms that we were just talking about. I would appreciate if you would take a look that an answer it for the record take you to another topic is issued discuss before this committee. Voted on several different occasions the child abuse cereals is on the National Association of attorneys general Congress Passing lawmakers studying amines about this artificial intelligence. Or ari be used and exploited children generation of child abuse material or cease and a letter to the attorney general described how he i used to create new images of children and positionsus or otherwise over laid photos on victimized children with photos of abused children to create this. For this andw some terms i dont any grandparent is now eligible this area does all of the children orch grandchildren please careful what you communicate on the internet and you communicated with, youve highlighted the fbis work five prioritize investigate deter Individuals Networks from exporting children now to get the proliferation on the darkness Sergeant Team elaborate with the fbi is doing to disrupt the technologies used to exploite children when obstacles are you facing related to this work. So i think that there is no question set in effect the fbi when women tackle that is more righteous and more the heart of why we do what we to them protecting the kids. And i know the last year, we arrested Something Like 3000 child predators rescue to Something Like 2000 kids, from exploitation the vast majority of which is happening heavily aligned and often lead to was even worse is the actual handson of these abuse certainly as you noted mr. Chairman technologies have continued to dance in a way that makes god threat even more pernicious living ari including the newy, ability create synthetic and content for example when you ask challenge some of t biggest concerns that we have is the companys Needs Technology companys are increasingly moving direction with theirg proof encryption what that means everybody listening at home, as im to be in a situation where the baby is happening on those platforms law and force you wont have any ability no matter how rocksolid the words to get access to the information we need to protect those kids and take down those monsters. The companies themselves are effectively pointing themselves to be news on their own platforms. In several we really need is for the companies to work with congress and with the executive branch and Law Enforcement to sign their encryption in a way that makes make the code if it ability to respond rocksolid Legal Process respond to the warrants to acquire the cooperating with us whyhese companies resisting director to engage them in solving the problem. Well i cannot speakor them and it returns the motivation obviously, these issues get into analysis of privacy and security is at longstanding thanks to children for me to say what is Privacy Concern there. You got me. [laughter] and i will tell we got some of these Companies Millions concepts weve had historically go into a model this tips just eventbrite must be clear when the text evaporate, so after getting abused. Predators are still out there and the only thing that is changed, so our ability to do anything about it because of the way in which the comedies designing their encryption so it is essentially i cannot speak toor their motivation butsentially blind themselves to what is happening whether platforms indirectly divide us to do our ability to his wife and be closely and this next month and i hope that we can ask these questions directly will tell you we have passover glowingly, endlessly five different bills related to thi issue and i thought that was going to be an avenue to bring them to the floor the resistance from big tech to e this issue despite his overwhelming bipartisan vote troubles me greatly i dont believe they want to do the right thing pretty there is no evidence about. Thank you speak on them quickly, to greet you systems are desned today isnt dangers to american families. Yes sure. Thanks in order to begin otherime the fbi for the lowinflation pretty okay no is about to say heck no. Okay you can say that if you want to. Yes and i thank you so pretty dumb given what you told us pretty how Long Associated with the. Love and director a over six years working for the fbi my whole career really. Listed a fine point on where we are at today is america for how would you describe the threat matrix is America Today from your point of view a having been the fbi most of your adult life. So what i would says unique about the environment that we are in right now in my career so the rampant types of earth where individual threats couldve been higher. There might be right nownever seen a time where all the threats were so many of the threats are all elevated all exactly the same time this what makes this environment we are in now, so fraught and so on why funding are minute women working shoulder to shoulder with state and local Law Enforcement partners every day makes it even more important the less. And so licking red lights now the analogy about 911 all lights were blinking readily 4911 apparently. All of us mystic, would you say theres multiple licking red lights other. I was a quick he was everywhere i turn. Okay right can say better than that it was driving all of these problems the server the wrong and was around trying to do to america. And so ron which is of course theigthe start there. In a run just in couple of years if you want to bring you know, the homeland in the last couple of years iran tried to assassinate former u. S. National security advisor on u. S. Soil has try to kidnap and try to kill and journalists come an american journalist and right symptoms right smack in new york city and is conducted a cyber attack on Childrens Hospital in new england andctor with a nine else the fall of 2020, try to fearless president ial election so this just a star something is not another good pretty lets look at what you said we found enough sentinel to killpercent American People. And thus just the last few years you think we missed some fentanyl. Absolutely. Okay oldest one point the fentanyl problems of america. Well i was sort with china su most of the precursors to the cartels in mexico then please to the fentanyl becomes here. As we talked about is a huge problem put in addition to that, china is also responsible for a lot of the manufacturing process which of course arere also used in addition to that, people to this chart also responsible for the precursors manufactured south of the border as well. You see t getting better. I do not. This on russia for the updo. Well besides your unconscionable in ukraine, russia has one of the most advanced and most widespread cyber offense programs in the world. They have invested very heavily at cbs2 and weighs against us and our allies. Officers here in the United States many measure. They also provide safe havens to cyber criminals working for the russiany are conducting Cyber Attacks against us are always all the worlds us to start. Lets go to internatial terrorist organizations. In one of my concerns is after afghanistan can we put International Terrorism on steroids three concern that International Terrorist threats of the homeland are rising, as the border continues to be broken. I am concerned that we are in an elevated threat environment and heightened threat environment for foreign terrorist organizations. And for a whole host of reasons. And obviously there ability to exploit port of entry includingelfless quarter is the source of concern theres a lot of discussion about the numbers in the numbers are important. Lets not forget that he take a big number of people in 911, to kill 3000 people salon numbers are important they do not tell have seen an increase in jesses respect and tempting to cross over the last five years would you say putting a fine on this topic the right now is the largest f nation from International TerroristOrganization Since 911 well this certainly higher than the spending a long time let me put it that way because just look close october 7t was elevated before october 7, but close october 7 he seen a veritable reform turn. Sexy is a. Okay october the seventh was devastating. To our friends in israel. Just want to be for this committee s october 7 the bursting of the foreign terrorist organizations and the path of americans one of his efforts a. Yes the threat levels onto a hold of the level is october 7. Okay folks you are on about it. And finally what should we be doing. Differently. All of these bad actors. I think it is fair to say that glossy teresa you have any idea quickly of what weg could be doing differently. Will certainly it the charge requires submitting to be imposed on that i first trying to your voice was your torrance. Consequences are also part of this destructing even without the destructing actors abilities to harm us. Center window. Are you. Thank you seem weird truck chiming together to go over all the business which i apologize. The responsiveness of the department. I wanted to talk to about charles today. His fbi agent is interesting is a response in verse he is pleading guilty is pled guilty to offense of regarding his undisclosed receipt of 125,000. From a foreign national. And he awaits sentencing for the crimes in which he pled in february the second interesting thing is that you let the mayor division during the time that it widely reported the new york fbi agent and former new attorney pretty giuliani pressuring Director Company to intervene Clinton Campaign that do damage and which has been forcefully no, director coming did with press conferences violated the doj rules and procedures. That so my experiences that when somebody is the presentencing motive of criminal plea, is very time to get information from them cooperation i do not know what happened in new York Field Office during that time but theres a very good chance that somebody does. I will put into the record three records, when his me to attorney general garland recent asking about this segment is the first ofll the doj actually giving letter doj website reflecting plea agreement. N the Southern District of new york and the attorneys for charles mcgonigal. And so this what else in the letter was if somebody independent of the fbi take a look to see if there were fbi shenanigans during that time that office pretty i received no confirmation that anything is going on in the plea agreement reflects no signal or sign of cooperation which often the feature and plea agreements in his sentencing to an executive cooperate outside of the plea. And ive been unable to whether or not the Inspector General to see somebody independent from the fbi are summoning the department should take a look at what you know the status of this and are you what would make sense would not make sense for the. Right to have independent have eyeballs but no about what took place in that office at he is in this couple position having subject to sentencing. Senator ito appreciate you raising the topping so couple of things first Counterintelligence Division of course the people who identified mcgonigals wrongdoing pursue did arrested him that are very to determine all the ways you would imagine what if anything that might beough his misconduct thatat is one and second, there are think to attorney offices involved both new york and i district of columbia as well so two cases. They arentencing is cooperation if you will could be potentially relevant and we are they can tell you have involved Inspector General as well. Because we like you want to make sure we understand the full scope of what mr. Barnicle did what he knows next j Inspector General this may notify. Has been engaged. This getting her back to 702 for a moment and i understand that 702 which wasriginally designed for counterterrorism group, has also been deployed against international fentanyl trafficking apparatus is not correct and 72 been important in combating international apparatus. To outspend important in the fight against the discourage or so i would say by our Intelligence Community partners in the cia for example in overseas to pursuee some of the foreign dimensions of the w that have massive ramifications for communities all of the United States. So thats a success. Yes it is a success. You also mentioned the role of 72 interesting out to the victims crime of potential foreign intelligence operations predict right and lastminute together aittle bit more on the role of 72, and supporting the governments role in cutting findou out that the victims live in victims of criminal and intelligence attacks and helping them work through the consequences as victims. Is short of what i would say is the 702 especially the ability to run the queries what it addresses they think that is statistically right now the biggest place in which it ise using Cyber Attacks and so victims overwhelmingly the victims in raining men chinese and others Cyber Attacks here in the United States 72 is what allows us to figure out companies being targeted, the entry point is, what about guys going and allows us to the how that information rush out of the comings and work themic so they can take steps mitigated before gets worse can find there a lot of consultants wereg Companies Notice and theyve been preaching at had not had 702 about that and we been some excellence for subassembly this a question for the record and you have to do some scrubbing coming to make sure that everybody is the information being released but i think the more that we can know about actual ways in which actual individuals even if they have t were help to receive the circumstances that would be useful in thank you. To chairman. The Senate Intelligence committee that thehe field office in the catholic memo was a one field office that was in are you testified house Judiciary Committee that it a single product of a single field office with the memo said, the two other field offices of the fbi were valid and that information had been enacted and urges provided to the congress and the redact that critical information presently did review the unredacted previous testimony. Information . Second, did you review the unredacted version before giving your previous decimal . The richmond authors of the product included two sentences or something there about the referencing each ofse other office cases. They sent those sentences about the other cases to that not the whole product and asked if we describe your case right . Thats all the other officers had it was a single field Office Product i stand by that. Rex did you the memo before giving your previous testimony . I have reviewed the unredacted memo. Exactly when ite right now. Okay in july of this year but is now known023 fbi document ofalso written you several letters of the same most recently i think october 24. That letter of october said in confidential human source and the biden family 1023 was not connected to known information. Confidential human source is also reportedly a longrunning fbi source. The fbi has used in many investigative matters. According to former attorney general bill barr, barr said 1023 was deemed sufficiently investigation. On may 31 of this year chairman culver and i had a call with you you. On that call youie told us the divided family 23 is related with ongoing matter. Now,w, very clearly these data points show indicators of credibility. T this question for you this fbi 1023 was serialized on june 30 ago. When were you first made aware 1023 . Now i can give you the exact date. I can tell you i learned of the 10 much much much more recently than 2020 that is for re. What does a Public Document you have an obligation to tell this committee what you knew about it, when you knew about it and y if information i guess i better go on. Are there addit generated 1023 that reference a bribery scheme involving the biden family and if so how many and what are their dates . Asked senator now youre asking questions that relate directly to special counsel Ongoing Investigation and respectfully i discuss anything related to that investigation. I would refer you to him for that. The 1023 references allege a alled texts, financial records audiotapes that proves some sort of scheme involving money with the biden people. These are discrete documents that can be obtained if they exist a high paid long used federal confidential human source provides the fbi types make different types of records exist that prove a crime involving a political official entered fbi practice is to take steps to obtain that evidence. Would you agree with what i have said so far about the fbi policy . And if not why not . Certainly i would expect people to do appropriate followup on anything in the 1023ut obvthose instances this fact the pacific in case dependent too. That answer is okay. So then based upon what you just told me to the fbi seek these reco matter . X let me separate into two Different Things here. Comes to the investigation being led by special counsel weiss which is being supported by our Baltimore Field Office that went i going to be able to discuss because it is an Ongoing Investigation. When it comes to the assessments that occurred being run out of the field office in pittsburgh and the u. S. Attorney mr. Brady is selected by attorney general barr to look at all ofse this back in the d are talking about my understanding is there is agreement on the team about what ednehe closing of that assessment. Of your communique with white house officials or use a ng relating to the 1023 as it involves people in the biden family . And if so who and when . I want to go to Sexual Misconduct by the fbi october the fifth 2022 i sent you a letter later made fbi records public that showed widespread sexualt female. The data also showed hundreds of fbi p discipline the senior high level official received reduced punishment if any at all. October 6october 6 the fbi told the Associated Press it and tended to respond to me first and declined to provide Sexual Misconduct data to the press at that time. It is over one year later the fbi has failed to provide this data to me. The fbis blatant lack of action indicates it is not taking misconduct against wen and the workplace seriously. Why has the fbi failed to provide that very important data to this committee . And oh when will finally be produced as the fbi told the Associated Press youre going to . First let me say i could not disagree more strongly that we dont take it seriously. I can tell you i take Sexual Misconduct against our own employees extremely seriously we put in place all sorts of new procedures and policies to deal with that im to communicate in no Uncertain Terms how strongly i feel about that. As to the responsiveness to your letter it let me follow up with my team and find up where that stands i do it to make sure none about how seriously i take this. Okay the worse the data that lling to take it so seriously . But i will follow up with you about your letter. Er klobuchar . Thank you very much mr. Chair. Thank you so much directory for being here. Start out with hate crimes you and i have talked about them before. Thank you and your agents in minnesota for their work on solving with the clear hate. Crime with the prison sentence of a bombing of an Islamic Center in my home state back in 2017. And we note since that time we have seen increases in hate crimes. Reports show a 216 increase on a request for request for help reported incidents against muslims. Another report showed a 388 ri incidents since this time last year. We know the facts we know it r happened in front of that restaurant in philadelphia. We know that in illinois a 6yearold muslim boy was targeted and fatally stabbed for being a palestinian american and los angeles a criminal broke into the home of a jewish family family threaten them and screamed about killing jews in vermont to a palestinian student from brownr university whose parents had him state and the stay in the u. S. Rather than returning home for safety reason was shot. In new york a woman was assaulted at Grand Central terminal and when confronted the assailant said it was in brooklyn a father and his 18yearold son were allegedly assaulted by another parent for being palestinian and three suspects were arrested for 30 minutes free of attacks on jewish new yorkers. This is concerning for everyone democrat, republican jewish, Muslim Christian anyone in this country. I know you care about this very much because i saw that work that your age agent stood int to get more details on what the fbi is doing and what the Justice Department is doing to detect, detere crimes and also the effect of social media and i know there are limitations of what we can do i have some this. But could you also talk about that . I appreciate her longstanding interest in this pic and i know how important it is to you not the least of which is the attacks that occurred in your hometate. Certainly weve seen an increase in hate crimes theres lots of different numbers out there. I wilus purpose. One is in 2022 we saw the highest increase in hate crimes reported that we 2008. We do not have full data for 2023 yet but we what we expected to keep going out. Second data point post october 7, just since october 7 we have more hate crimes investigations post october 7 they get paired to the h,comparable. Preoctober 7 thats on top of the escalating increase in mentioned. As i testified in my Opening Statement the biggestar chunk of those are threats against the Jewish Community there are attacks and you mention several ofmentionedseveral of them against others as well. What are we doing about it . A few d elevated civil rights especially hate crimes Suit National threat priority thats been true for the past couple of that brings with it more investigative resources of all shapes and sizes. Second we arez trying to do a lot to engage in outreach both to Law Enforcement and the communities because one thing we know about hate is that they are chronically underreported. There are lots of reasons for that so trying to get better data better fidelity of thecr data allows us to track the trend better but to also ensure we are finding the cases that need to be pursued. Even when a hate crime charge a federal hate crime charge is not available the fbi does not just walk away from the case we support and some cases even testimony and other things in state prosecutions if state charges are being those are a few of the things in our outreach efforts i would say we also have tried to do things targeted at specific communities. So for example in new york we tried to reach out to parts of the Jewish Community in new york with outreach in yiddish and hebrew not just in english for example the so that is just athank you. I wanted to turn to fentanyl. That has to be done at the border and so much work that has to be done in the ports of entry ssed a while back. But we also know one third of drug cases have direct ties to social media. They help the migraines. It was the chairmans leadership to require them to report conventional on drug sales on their platforms. Its called the cooper davis act. Could you this could be helpful and how it could be helpful taking on the cases . What you put the finger on is the degree to which onl activity is inextricably intertwined with the fentanyl epidemic. A variety of ways that i know administrator at the dea has a number of initiatives focus on this as its focus on darknet marketplaces and j jacob which is focus on dismantling darknet marketplaces of functional okay thank you. One other kids issue kids issue you noted the importance of protecting kids you noted in your written test by the fbi has recently reported a massive increase in cases whe kids and teens are being coerced into sending explicit photos and videos only to be blackmailed or thrned gain. In 2022 alone the scams resulted in at least 20 victims committing suicide. My billbl was header corn in the shield act include the threat provision and otherprovision and other t it comes to revenge pouring in these cases involving kids. While we are advan bill sadly we have been opposed by some members of this committee and i found incrediblyfrustrating. They wont meet with me too try to make any changes to it and im trying to change that. Whateats to people receive . How could we make the tools we haven this crime better. Im just going to start going to the floor and taken this on. Our colleagues can object if they would like. You. Arthur cannot speak to specific legislative proposals. What i can tell you is rapidly escorting threat way too many teenagers victimize that awarded turn people like you and center corn and are raising awareness about a bird that by itself is hugely valuable. As to what we need i will tell totakeback to the answer i came back earlier to chairman durbin about the threat of the proliferation going take responsibility for part of taking responsibility includes the ability to process will provide the information so that Law Enforcement august fbi he kids and take other predators. The carjacking 702 i think if you work on that. Will star some basic concepts if you walk into the Supreme Court of the United States over the arches in the entryway there are inscribed the words equal justice underaw. Iat think there is a perception unfortunatelyre not living up to that ideal in a number of respects. Senator whitehouse mentioned the shameful treatment of hilary somebody who i do not support my politicalts standpoint but is subjected to the release of t information that director called me on the fbi conducted involving her. And the fact that he usurped the authority of the attorney general when it comes to charging decisionsg and made the statement that he there is also a perception that President Trump was not treated fairly during his time of office because of the opposition researchi. Things like this deal dossier the russia gate investigation. All of which ended up basically amounting to no charges being filed. To just say personally i appreciate your willingness to take on the t of restoring and rebuilding the reputation of the fbi. I believe the fbi is an indispensable institution and our government but it is also a big on wielding institution. I think you have about 35 peoepl thought desmet 35000 people at work to the fbi is that correct . Is closer to 38000. I am personally wooverwhelmingly these are good patriotic hardworking people sacrificing putting themselves in harms way in order tonv protect the rest of america. But like any other Large Organizations there are going to apples. People who abuse trust and misbehave. Can you just te a minute and describe what steps you have undertaken at theba fbi to try to restore the fbis reputation as onar o a 00esin 2oct t anec