FBI higher-ups reportedly instructed an agent to sanitize his Facebook page, removing anti-Trump content, prior to promoting him to lead the bureau’s Miami field office, according to a whistleblower’s testimony before Congress.
The disclosure presented to the House Judiciary Committee highlighted Jeffrey Veltri’s recent elevation to special agent in charge of the Miami office.
Described as staunchly anti-Trump, Veltri was directed by FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate, and Executive Assistant Director Jennifer Moore to purge his social media presence.
“The home of President Donald Trump is located in the area of responsibility of the Miami Field Office. It was well known that Veltri was adamantly and vocally Anti-Trump,” said the disclosure, which The Washington Times has obtained. “Wray, Abbate and Moore wanted to ensure that Veltri appeared non-political, Veltri was ordered to remove all of his Facebook and Social media posts that were Anti-Trump.”
The intent was to present Veltri as non-political, particularly due to the Miami office’s jurisdiction covering President Donald Trump’s residence. The focus wasn’t on Veltri’s personal bias against Trump but rather on removing any public evidence of it.
The whistleblower emphasized the concern wasn’t about Veltri’s anti-Trump stance but the elimination of his political bias from the public eye.
Additionally, allegations surfaced regarding Veltri’s oversight in suspending security clearances for agents considered “right-wing radicals.”
Chris Swecker, a former FBI assistant director, expressed the need for scrutiny, suggesting that if any part of the allegations held truth—especially regarding the sanitization of social media—this necessitated investigation by the DOJ and the Office of Inspectors General.
“Let’s say half of that is true. If they wiped his social media clean, that’s something that needs to be looked at by the DOJ and the [Office of] Inspectors General,” he told The Times. “It’s highly improper to wipe things clean that shows some kind of bias. I know they want it off, but then there could have been an inquiry about it, and It could have held up the promotion.”
The FBI defended Veltri’s promotion as legitimate, refuting the allegations of political bias influencing decisions. However, these accusations have sparked congressional interest, with whistleblowers from the FBI’s Security Division also revealing attempts to sideline agents deemed disloyal or radical.
“Special Agent in Charge Veltri was selected through a competitive process to lead the Miami field office and is charged with carrying out the FBI mission in a fair and unbiased manner,” the bureau said in a statement to The Times. “The reported allegations about political bias impacting decisions, the targeting of former military employees, and SAC Veltri’s social media accounts and posts are demonstrably false.
Despite denials from the FBI, concerns persist about actions taken by Veltri and others within the Security Division to strip agents, including military veterans, of their security clearances.
The FBI stressed its non-retaliatory stance against whistleblowers and employees for expressing political views, also citing restrictions under the Privacy Act regarding specific internal matters. They urged the whistleblowers and involved agents to waive Privacy Act protections to disclose more information.
“Repeated reporting on these outrageous allegations does not change the facts,” the bureau said. “The FBI has not and will not retaliate against individuals who make protected whistleblower disclosures. We do not target or take adverse action against employees for exercising their First Amendment rights or for their political views. The FBI has many employees who are military veterans and we thank them for their service.”
“These waivers may provide the opportunity for the public to gain an understanding of the specific security concerns presented in those matters. The FBI looks forward to sharing additional details regarding these security clearance cases if and when we receive the required Privacy Act waivers,” the FBI said.
While the whistleblower’s identity remains undisclosed, Veltri’s career trajectory within the FBI, his roles, and recent controversies are under scrutiny.
Former FBI agent Kurt Siuzdak, who now works as a lawyer and is representing the whistleblower, said the FBI has a duty to be fair.
“For whatever reason, unfortunately, the number one criminal subject right now for the FBI seems to be Donald Trump. So you would think they would go out of their way to make sure that everyone involved in the investigation is completely unbiased because they’ve already suffered the issues with bias several years ago regarding Trump,” he said. “It would be a travesty if they’ve actually done the same thing again. The FBI was always designed to be completely apolitical.”
The FBI’s handling of past investigations involving Trump and recent operations regarding documents at Mar-a-Lago has faced criticism and further inquiry.
