How Trump FBI pick could take agency 'back to before 9/11': expert
CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller explained on Monday what could happen to the Federal Bureau of Investigation if President-Elect Donald Trump's FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, is confirmed.
Patel has vowed to prosecute all enemies of his potential boss in the media and in government if granted the role of director.
During the latest episode of CNN's Anderson Copper 360, Cooper asked Miller, "What happens to an organization if the head is not playing it straight — is not trying to be kind of above the fray?"
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"I mean, that's what all this fear and loathing is coming from, is Kash Patel's statements about the FBI, or about the intent of his role in any Trump administration that he made weeks and months ago, pretends two things: one, you need to throw everybody out of FBI headquarters. Well, that brings the FBI 25 years back to before 9/11, where there wasn't an international terrorist operation center, a domestic terror terrorist operation section, a terrorist finance section. All of these things that call together these informations from 56 field offices and connect those dots."
Miller emphasized, "It's actually how and why we had a 9/11. So to dismantle that is to not understand it."
Cooper chimed in, adding, "Because that's one of the things that Kash Patel was saying, was send all the people who work in headquarters back into the field, and be cops."
Miller replied, "Right, and the second thing is to make statements about 'we're going to go after people.' Look, the Department of Justice guidelines — at least as they stand now — say the FBI is barred from investigating any activities that are purely First Amendment protected activities. He says 'we're going to go after critics and we're going to go after reporters.' It's as if you're going from fidelity, bravery and integrity to 'we're going to get you.'"
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