The FBI

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Maryland confirmed as pick for new FBI headquarters

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new headquarters will be in Maryland, a significant victory for the state following years of jockeying against Virginia and debate throughout several presidencies about where best to locate the law enforcement agency.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/09/maryland-confirmed-as-pick-for-new-fbi-headquarters/?

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Maryland, Virginia lawmakers tussle over FBI HQ decision at congressional hearing

WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. House committee on Tuesday grilled the head of the General Services Administration over the agency’s recent decision to place the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new headquarters in Maryland instead of Virginia.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/14/maryland-virginia-lawmakers-tussle-over-fbi-hq-decision-at-congressional-hearing/?

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Investigation launched into site selection process for new FBI headquarters

WASHINGTON — The watchdog for the General Services Administration will investigate the process that led the federal agency to choose a Maryland site over two others for the new FBI headquarters.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/30/investigation-launched-into-site-selection-process-for-new-fbi-headquarters/?

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White House urged to hold off on FBI HQ move to Maryland while review continues

WASHINGTON — Virginia lawmakers are asking the Biden administration to “pause” work on a new headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation until a government watchdog can complete a review into how a Maryland site was selected.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/12/04/white-house-urged-to-hold-off-on-fbi-hq-move-to-maryland-while-review-continues/?

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U.S. House Oversight leader demands probe into ‘political interference’ in FBI HQ move

WASHINGTON — The chair of the House Oversight Committee is calling on a government watchdog to investigate any “political interference” in the site selection process for the new FBI headquarters.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/12/05/u-s-house-oversight-leader-demands-probe-into-political-interference-in-fbi-hq-move/

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FBI chief makes fresh pitch for spy program renewal and says it’d be ‘devastating’ if it lapsed

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray called Tuesday for the reauthorization of a U.S. government surveillance tool set to expire at the end of the year, warning Senate lawmakers that there would be “devastating” consequences for public safety if the program is allowed to lapse.

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-surveillance-fisa-702-congress-reform-7dc1b506b58ce74de0d7983dfba98909?

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A white couple who burned a cross in their yard facing Black neighbors’ home are investigated by FBI

The FBI is investigating a white South Carolina couple for racial discrimination after they set a cross on fire in their yard last month facing toward their Black neighbors’ home.

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cross-burning-south-carolina-35c2f4acaf95b8d22aa7692ff04ecc4e?

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As China and Iran hunt for dissidents in the US, the FBI is racing to counter the threat

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a student leader of the historic Tiananmen Square protests entered a 2022 congressional race in New York, a Chinese intelligence operative wasted little time enlisting a private investigator to hunt for any mistresses or tax problems that could upend the candidate’s bid, prosecutors say.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-china-harassing-dissidents-united-states-ee48c1b9c32d187b183faaa616d9ab16?

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Feds charge 5, including man acquitted at trial, with conspiring to bribe Minnesota juror with $120K

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Five people were charged Wednesday with conspiring to bribe a Minnesota juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash in exchange for the acquittal of defendants in one of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI announced Wednesday.

https://apnews.com/article/juror-bribery-feeding-our-future-minnesota-a37cef15106e7c9dbbbcd62f9125613a?

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FBI says it is investigating after Trump campaign said sensitive documents were hacked by Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is investigating allegations that sensitive documents from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign were stolen in a cyber intrusion, as well as attempts to gain access to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, days after the Trump campaign declared it had been hacked by Iran.

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-trump-iran-hack-campaign-02a44ea734c8ee92c4d3a576af7a79fe?

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Federal investigators seize phones from NYC police boss, 4 top mayoral deputies

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal investigators this week seized phones from New York City’s police commissioner and at least four top deputies to New York Mayor Eric Adams, according to people familiar with the matter.

https://apnews.com/article/mayor-eric-adams-fbi-raid-4cdda3a44540474e21fdb815b3b00ad7?

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FBI to pay $22M to settle claims of sexual discrimination at training academy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI agreed Monday to pay more than $22 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging female recruits were singled out for dismissal in training and routinely harassed by instructors with sexually charged comments about their breast size, false allegations of infidelity and the need to take contraception “to control their moods.”

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-sexual-misconduct-quantico-metoo-c8c55d6b80de19a462f5894725308329?

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The FBI arrested a man who’s been charged with planning an attack on the New York Stock Exchange

A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to “reboot” the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI.

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-stock-exchange-attack-charge-0136576efbbfd327787f522eaf6857ae?

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FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job.

https://apnews.com/article/wray-fbi-director-resign-trump-patel-ca7553c92819b5487ce12de252a5a543?

FBI Director Chris Wray to resign before Trump takes office

FBI Director Chris Wray announced Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Biden's term, the FBI confirmed to Axios.

https://www.axios.com/2024/12/11/fbi-chris-wray-resigns?

FBI shakeup

FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign at the end of the Biden administration, the agency said Wednesday, as it became clear he would be forced out by President-elect Donald Trump. In a Truth Social post, Trump celebrated Wray's decision to resign, calling it "a great day for America." When Trump first chose Wray to lead the FBI in 2017, the two were on good terms. But the relationship soured as Wray oversaw an FBI that investigated Trump, resulting in two separate federal cases against the former president. Trump was also enraged with the FBI for, among other things, carrying out the lawful search of his Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022. Trump had vowed to replace the FBI director with loyalist Kash Patel, although Wray still had three years remaining in his 10-year term. Patel will need to be confirmed by the Senate.

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FBI found 150 homemade bombs at Virginia home during search in December, prosecutors say

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Federal agents found one of the largest stockpiles of homemade explosives they have ever seized when they arrested a Virginia man on a firearms charge last month, according to a court filing by federal prosecutors.

https://apnews.com/article/homemade-bombs-seized-virginia-firearms-c68488480ef8bd3de7b432272399aa28?

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FBI releases new video of suspect in pipe bomb case on eve of Capitol riot A harrowing chapter in American history remains shrouded in mystery: Who planted pipe bombs outside offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in Washington on the eve of the attack on the Capitol? Hoping to generate new tips from the public, the FBI is releasing more information about its pipe bomb investigation. Read more.

Why this matters: Kamala Harris, then the Vice President-elect, was inside the DNC offices when the pipe bomb was found outside the building about 1:05 p.m. on Jan. 6. Before the bomb was deactivated, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s motorcade passed by the DNC building as she was evacuated from the Capitol, according to House Republicans.   A host of basic questions remains unanswered four years later. Investigators haven’t determined if the suspect is a man or a woman, nor have they established a clear link between the pipe bombs and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump’s supporters.   In the absence of harder evidence, Republican lawmakers and right-wing media outlets have promoted conspiracy theories about the pipe bombs. House Republicans also have criticized security lapses, questioning how law enforcement failed to detect the bombs for 17 hours.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to save his job as a new Congress convenes Republicans’ trust in accuracy of US elections jumps after Trump’s win, AP-NORC poll finds   Trump to rally in DC ahead of inauguration   A guide to funeral services for former President Jimmy Carter   Trump’s strength and unpredictability can help end the war with Russia, Ukraine’s president says   Federal courts won’t refer Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to attorney general over ethics   Jill Biden gets the priciest gift from a foreign leader in 2023 — a $20,000 diamond   With a nod to her mentor Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Barbara Lee exits Congress as a renegade herself   New North Carolina governor issues orders on private road repairs, housing after Helene   Governor seeks resignation of Western New Mexico University regents after spending revelations   Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear laughs off unflattering social media comments in a video with his wife

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Man behind New Year’s attack visited New Orleans before, recorded video with smart glasses, FBI says The man responsible for a truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with Meta smart glasses, an FBI official said Sunday. Read more.

Key points: Shamsud-Din Jabbar used glasses from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to record video in New Orleans on October 31, said Lyonel Myrthil, FBI special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office. He said Jabbar was also in New Orleans on Nov. 10 and wore the glasses capable of livestreaming during the attack, but did not activate them.   Jabbar also traveled to Cairo and Canada before the attack although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ At New Orleans’ St. Louis Cathedral, church leader asks for prayers for victims of truck attack   The French Quarter’s metal barriers were gone on New Year’s, leaving a critical security gap   Soldier who died by suicide in Las Vegas told ex-girlfriend of pain and exhaustion after Afghanistan

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FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying

A case that started a decade ago with a New York City man’s arrest at John F. Kennedy Airport for allegedly trying to join a Pakistani terrorist group has now dealt a setback to government spying powers.

https://theintercept.com/2025/01/27/fbi-government-spying-surveillance-702-fisa/?

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FBI joins search for US college student who vanished in Dominican Republic on spring break

The FBI has joined the search for a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing nearly a week ago while on spring break in the Dominican Republic tourist town of Punta Cana, police said Tuesday. Read More.

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FBI arrests Milwaukee judge accused of helping man evade immigration authorities

The FBI on Friday arrested a Milwaukee judge accused of helping a man evade immigration authorities, escalating a clash between the Trump administration and the judiciary over the Republican president’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Read More.

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The FBI is investigating the explosion at a California fertility clinic as an act of terrorism

The person believed responsible for an attack targeting a Southern California fertility clinic Saturday posted rambling online writings before an explosion that investigators are treating as an act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official.

https://apnews.com/article/california-explosion-palm-springs-eb8887fbe5877a20a40916aba86554ea?

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? Impersonating Susie Wiles

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in the Oval Office this month. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images The FBI is investigating a "clandestine effort to impersonate White House chief of staff Susie Wiles" after someone pretending to be her called and texted prominent Republicans and business executives, The Wall Street Journal's Josh Dawsey reports. Why it matters: Wiles has told people that the contacts on her personal cellphone were hacked, "giving the impersonator access to the private phone numbers of some of the country's most influential people." "Some of the calls featured a voice that sounded like Wiles, people who heard them said. Government officials think the impersonator used artificial intelligence to imitate Wiles' voice," The Journal notes. FBI officials don't believe a foreign country is involved. Keep reading (gift link).

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US says it broke up effort to bring toxic fungus to Michigan lab from China

DETROIT (AP) — A Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan.

https://apnews.com/article/chinese-scientists-charged-toxic-fungus-5ccaba9aff8e5941ebcea71b9b6690b2?

FBI discovers cache of guns, armor and Nazi paraphernalia while raiding home in Washington state

Law enforcement discovered a cache of weaponry and armor, including a machine gun and grenade launchers, along with Nazi paraphernalia during a raid of a home in Washington state, authorities said Tuesday. Read More.

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⚖️ Scoop: FBI concludes Epstein killed himself

Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images President Trump's Justice Department and FBI have concluded that convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein didn't blackmail powerful figures or maintain a "client list," and did die by suicide, according to a memo detailing the findings obtained by Axios' Alex Isenstadt. The administration plans to release a video indicating no one entered the area of the Manhattan prison where Epstein was held the night he died in 2019. The video supports a medical examiner's finding that he killed himself and wasn't murdered, according to the two-page memo. Why it matters: The findings represent the first time Trump's administration has officially contradicted conspiracy theories about Epstein's activities and his death — theories that had been pushed by the FBI's top two officials before Trump appointed them to the bureau. As social media influencers and activists, Kash Patel (now the FBI's director) and Dan Bongino (now deputy director) were among those in MAGA world who questioned the official version of how Epstein died. Patel and Bongino have since backtracked and said Epstein died by suicide. But it has become an article of faith online, especially on the right, that Epstein's crimes also implicated government officials, celebrities and business leaders — and that someone killed him to conceal them. The memo says no one else involved in the Epstein case will be charged. (Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and related offenses.) ? Zoom in: According to the memo, investigators closely examined footage of Epstein's Manhattan prison cell between 10:40 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2019, when Epstein was locked in his cell, and around 6:30 a.m. the next day, when he was found unresponsive. Investigators found "no incriminating 'client list'" of Epstein's, "no credible evidence ... that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals," and no "evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties," the memo adds. Go deeper.

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FBI investigations

The FBI is investigating former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey for possible false statements to Congress, according to a person briefed on the matter. The probe was reportedly launched after current CIA Director John Ratcliffe released a review last week that criticized the 2016 US intelligence community assessment that found Russian President Vladimir Putin had sought to intervene in the election on Donald Trump’s behalf. Ratcliffe’s review did not dispute the intelligence community’s finding that Putin preferred Trump to then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. However, he claimed the assessment “was conducted through an atypical & corrupt process.” When asked about the investigation, Brennan said nobody from the FBI, DOJ or CIA had reached out to him. The CIA and Comey declined to comment.