Fresno County GOP called the FBI ‘rogue justice.’ It should quit dangerous rhetoric

To hear Fresno County’s Republican Party describe it, America is being overwhelmed by federal law officers bent on abusing the freedoms of average citizens.

“Yesterday’s shocking and unprecedented raid of former President Trump’s home in Florida is the latest example of a rogue justice system which attacks conservative Americans and protects radical Democrats,” the Fresno GOP said in a news release dated Aug. 9. The headline on the release: “The political weaponization of law enforcement.”.

“There has been a pattern of weaponizing the current law enforcement branches of our government against its own citizens,” the GOP added.

The local GOP emailed out the release a day after FBI agents went to former President Donald Trump’s home in Florida to recover documents he had taken there after he left the White House.

It is illegal for former presidents to keep in their possession any writings, gifts, mementos and the like that were developed during their time in office. The Presidential Records Act is clear — such materials belong to the American people. The National Archives, the agency in charge of presidential collections, asked the FBI to make the retrieval.

The National Archives had been working with Trump for more than a year to recover the documents, some of which were stamped classified and top secret.

Rather than making the FBI the focus of its anger, why isn’t the Fresno County GOP asking, “What the heck was Trump doing with those documents? And why has this dragged on for over a year?”

Opinion

But, no. The local GOP stuck to a tired script of “whataboutism,” wherein it compares one thing vs. another to show conservatives as victims.

The truth about the cases

The news release compared people arrested in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol with those arrested in Portland, Oregon in 2020 during demonstrations against racial injustice.

Fresno County GOP: “Currently, a group of Americans who are subjects of the January 6 investigation, are still, a year and a half later, languishing in jail and being denied their constitutional rights to a fair and speedy trial.”

Answer: Politico reported last month that, far from languishing, 325 defendants (out of 900 arrested so far) have pleaded guilty to charges related to breaking into the Capitol.

And, interestingly, eight felony cases have gone to jury trial. The record so far? Government wins, 8. Defendant wins, 0.

Bottom line: The Jan. 6 rioters are not being treated unfairly or unconstitutionally. They are either taking plea deals or getting their days in court.

Fresno County GOP: “In 2020, radical Marxist demonstrators burned the Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon while others destroyed millions of dollars of private property and committed murders across the country. Why have they not been brought to justice?”

Answer: None other than that left-leaning, radical newspaper known as the Wall Street Journal reports that half of the 96 cases brought against Portland protesters have been dropped. That’s because prosecutors worked out deals in which the defendants performed community service.

Half of those deferred resolution deals were accepted under the watch of the Trump Justice Department. President Biden’s team has taken over from there.

The Portland protesters are being taken to court. Their cases are being worked out. They are serving a penalty that a judge considers appropriate and approves.

The “whataboutism” of the Fresno County GOP vanishes as quickly as it was raised.

And, for the record, how does the local GOP really know the Portland demonstrators were Marxists?

FBI breaks up child sex ring

“FBI rescues 84 children in nationwide sex trafficking sting.”

That was the headline over a news story that published Aug. 16. The FBI announced it had broken up a national ring of sex traffickers, and rescued more than 80 kids. Another 37 missing children were found. The average age of the victims: 15.5. The youngest victim was 11 years old.

Additionally, 141 adults who were being trafficked were rescued, and 85 people were arrested for alleged human trafficking or child sexual exploitation.

The FBI does this work day in and out. It is part of a federal law enforcement system that keeps Americans safe.

How is that for a “rogue” federal agency?

GOP, get honest

Weaponizing. Rogue. Denied rights. Destroy opponents. Dictatorships. Totalitarian governments.

All these words were in the Fresno County GOP’s news release. They were said of the U.S. government and Democrats elected to office by American voters.

By misapplying those terms, the local Republican party seeks to convince its members that the nation is on the brink of civil war. Such leadership, if it can be called that, is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible.

If Fresno County GOP leaders really believe what their words convey, they could not be more mistaken. If they are playing a cynical political game, they are feeding lies to their members and are accelerating the division in this nation.

Fresno County GOP, get a grip. Put the meaningless culture war aside and debate real issues honestly. Take a moment to reflect on how the America of today remains a great nation. Do your part to keep it so.