WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Peoria-area Congressman is claiming the FBI illegally monitored him.
Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) made the claim during a House Intelligence Committee meeting on Thursday. His claim is based off a 2021 declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that told of abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In the report, the FBI under Section 702 of FISA inappropriately searched the data of local political organizations and an unnamed member of Congress to see if there were foreign intelligence ties.
“I have had the opportunity to review the classified summary of this violation. And it is my opinion that the member of Congress that was wrongfully queried multiple times, solely by his name, was, in fact, me,” LaHood said.
LaHood leads a working group tasked with renewal of Section 702 and oversight for the Intelligence Committee.
“Ironically, I think it gives me a good opportunity and a unique perspective on what’s wrong with the FBI, and the problems the FBI has,” LaHood added.
LaHood says the actions done by the FBI were egregious and a threat to the separation of powers.
The FBI’s inappropriate querying of a duly elected Member of Congress is an egregious violation that not only degrades trust in FISA and the Intelligence Community but is a threat to the foundational values of our democracy. pic.twitter.com/qvyDH6Ezkw
— Darin LaHood (@RepLaHood) March 9, 2023
