House Judiciary accuses Biden FBI of retaliating against whistleblower

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan on Monday sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, informing him that former President Joe Biden's FBI allegedly used a security-clearance process to potentially retaliate against a whistleblower.

The letter accuses the Biden administration of using a security-clearance interview process to get around whistleblower protections and investigate Special Agent Valentine Fertitta in 2024. The bureau also allegedly questioned Fertitta's wife Emily Fertitta.

The special agent blew the whistle on the bureau's alleged misuse of "law-enforcement authorities," which prompted the bureau to prolong his security clearance evaluation process, and the FBI asked Emily Fertitta to participate in a two-day interview.

Emily Fertitta was not allowed advice from an attorney, though one could sit in the room with her, and "policy guides, manuals, and an agenda or outline concerning the interview" were not provided, the committee claimed, per Fox News.

"Documents available to the Committee show that SecD investigators denied Mrs. Fertitta the right to receive advice from an attorney during her interview and the opportunity to review FBI guidelines regarding the interview process beforehand," the letter states.

The letter also claimed that the demand to interview Emily Fertitta violated bureau policy, which does not allow the agency to deny spousal privilege. Spousal privilege is a spouse’s legal right to refuse to testify against their partner in criminal cases.

The Judiciary Committee has requested that the FBI provide all documents related to the bureau's investigation of the Fertitta family no later than Nov. 10, 2025.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.