Two Republican congressmen expressed alarm upon learning of a Secure Work Environment, at Perkins Coie’s Washington, D.C., office.
Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, Fla., informed Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he and Representative Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, learned the Democratic Party’s law firm had a collocated workspace. The center’s existence and the joint operation with the FBI was announced in a May 25 letter the congressmen received from the D.C. law firm.
The Secure Work Environment at Perkins Coie was cleared by the FBI on March 26, 2012, and has been “in continuous operation since then,” Michael Bopp, an attorney representing Perkins Coie, told the congressmen in his correspondence.
Gaetz announced their finding in a May 31 Twitter post: “In response to a letter sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz and @Jim_Jordan, Perkins Coie, the legal arm of the DNC and Hillary Clinton, admits they have been operating an FBI workspace in their Washington, D.C. office since 2012.”
Gaetz said he’s spoken with multiple former federal prosecutors who have described the arrangement as unusual, according to a Fox News report. He and Jordan, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday corresponded with FBI Director Christopher Wray, demanding an explanation.
“The FBI complies with the law and security policies and works with the Department of Justice to serve classified, Court-authorized legal process necessary to support national security investigations,” an FBI spokesperson said in a statement. “In certain instances, the FBI coordinates with non-government, third-party entities, such as law firms, that represent service providers which receive these classified Court orders.”
“This includes providing access to private attorneys which represent the service providers in satisfaction of their legal rights. As part of this, the FBI ensures that any storage of classified orders meets stringent security protocols required for such documents.”
Gaetz and Jordan reportedly said the arrangement raises “serious questions” about the law enforcement agency’s relationship with Perkins Coie.
“Our concern is that politically motivated dirt was being converted into politically motivated investigations,” Gaetz said on Fox News. “That’s why Jim Jordan and I are making demands for answers on Christopher Wray immediately. And it’s my hope, certainly, that we shut this facility down.”
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