The 6 most significant FBI scandals during the Biden presidency.

The FBI has faced repeated scandals under the Biden administration's leadership, culminating in a suspected terror attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day morning.

Christopher Wray, the FBI Director nominated by Trump in his first administration, announced his resignation last month, paving the way for Trump's choice, Kash Patel, to rally support for his confirmation process before Trump's inauguration this month.

In the final days of President Biden's administration, Fox Digital examines some of the most significant FBI scandals from the past four years.

FBI initially reports New Year's Day attack ‘not a terrorist event’

On New Year's Day at 3 a.m., a truck crashed through the crowds on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring many others.

The FBI initially reported that the attack was not an act of terrorism, but later backtracked, causing controversy among conservatives and others.

Alethea Duncan, the New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, stated during a Wednesday morning press conference that the bureau will be taking over the investigative lead for the event and that it is not a terrorist act.

In the same press conference, the mayor of New Orleans refuted Duncan's statement and explicitly stated that the city was the victim of a terrorist act.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell stated that the city of New Orleans is still under investigation following a terrorist attack.

The FBI later reversed its stance that the attack was not an act of terror, issuing multiple statements throughout the day to clarify that they were treating the incident as a terrorist attack. They also confirmed that an ISIS flag was discovered in the suspect's vehicle that had crashed into the crowds.

An individual drove a car into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing several people and injuring many others. The suspect then interacted with local law enforcement and has since passed away. The FBI is currently leading the investigation into this incident as an act of terrorism, working alongside its partners.

The FBI's management of the issue has caused uproar among elected officials, Trump supporters, and voters on social media.

A source close to Trump informed Planet Chronicle Digital on Thursday morning that the FBI's mission is to succeed at all costs, with no margin for error. If they fail, it could result in the loss of American lives. It is imperative that Kash Patel is confirmed as soon as possible.

Conservatives and Trump allies criticized the FBI on social media, arguing that the bureau has prioritized DEI training and hiring over investigating and preventing crime.

Conservatives, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., criticized the FBI for reportedly visiting the suspect's home in Texas following media surveillance.

On Wednesday, New York Post reporter Jennie Taer posted on X that the FBI arrived at the NOLA suspect's address at 1pm today, despite the fact that they were already on scene beforehand. No one exited the home or answered the door.

Blackburn stated that the FBI had "fallen short" in its role as the country's top law enforcement agency, according to a Post reporter.

"The FBI's failure to fulfill its mission is evident from the fact that a reporter has better intel than the bureau," Blackburn stated.

Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Texas, was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle during the attack. He was killed after opening fire on police. The FBI announced on Thursday that Jabbar is believed to have acted alone.

Trump slammed Biden and his administration’s policies for the attack.

I have repeatedly stated during rallies and elsewhere that the Biden 'Open Borders' policy will lead to an increase in radical Islamic terrorism and other forms of violent crime in America, making it difficult to believe. Unfortunately, this has come to pass, and the situation is even worse than imagined. In my opinion, Joe Biden is the worst president in American history, a complete and total disaster.

On Thursday, when asked for comment on the criticisms of its handling of the attack, the FBI directed Planet Chronicle Digital to its three previous statements on the attack, which described it as an act of terror but did not address the New Orleans' agent's statement on Wednesday that the attack was not linked to terrorism.

The FBI is investigating the potential associations and affiliations of a person with terrorist organizations after an ISIS flag was discovered in their vehicle.

We are the lead investigative agency and are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We are aggressively pursuing all leads to identify any possible associates of the subject.

Trump slams Wray for ‘illegal raid’ on Mar-a-Lago

In August 2022, approximately 30 armed FBI agents searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for classified documents that the former president had in his possession.

Melania Trump's wardrobe was searched by agents during an unprecedented raid, resulting in the seizure of 33 boxes of documents.

During an interview with NBC on Sunday, Trump stated that he is unhappy with the things Wray has done, as crime is at an all-time high and migrants are pouring into the country from prisons and mental institutions. Trump also mentioned that he invaded Mar-a-Lago and is suing the country over it.

The use of deadly force during the raid was authorized by the Biden administration, which added to the criticism of conservatives who were already slamming the raid. However, the FBI later clarified that the same language was used in a similar search warrant for President Biden's Delaware home.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who wrote a critical letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray last month, raised concerns about the raid, given that Trump had been cooperating with investigators regarding the classified documents.

"Despite serious doubts about the necessity of the raid, President Trump reportedly cooperated with the investigation. He willingly handed over 15 boxes of documents months before the FBI intensified its investigation. In contrast, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, despite mishandling highly classified information while using a non-government server, never faced such a raid."

Trump criticized the "illegal" raid on Mar-a-Lago in response to Wray's resignation.

Christopher Wray, the FBI's leader, led an illegal raid on my home without cause, worked tirelessly to impeach and indict me, and has done everything in his power to hinder the prosperity of America. The FBI has abused its authority to threaten and harm innocent Americans, some of whom will never be able to recover from the damage done to them.

In July, Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee and stated that the FBI's actions at Mar-a-Lago were not a raid, but rather the execution of a lawful search warrant.

The FBI’s ‘Richmond memo’ on traditional Catholics

In January 2023, conservative lawmakers criticized an FBI memo from the Richmond office titled "Potential for Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists to be Interested in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Presents New Mitigation Opportunities."

The memo identified "radical-traditionalist Catholics" as potential "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists" and stated that "violent extremists in radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology present opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development."

Wray was scrutinized by lawmakers for targeting Americans based on their religious beliefs, which violates the U.S. Constitution. The memo was rescinded.

In a letter to Wray, twenty Republican lawmakers criticized the memo for targeting traditional Catholics based on their pro-life views, accusing RTCs of being hostile towards abortion-rights advocates following the Dobbs decision.

The call out to pro-life views is of even greater concern due to the slow rate of investigation and response to the violent attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and Catholic Churches since the Dobbs decision was leaked in May of last year.

During a 2023 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Wray stated that "We will not conduct investigations based on anyone's exercise of their constitutionally protected religious expression."

During Wray's tenure, the FBI faced criticism when it conducted a raid on a home and arrested a pro-life man in Pennsylvania in 2022.

In October 2021, Mark Houck, a Catholic father of seven who frequently prayed outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic, was arrested at his rural Pennsylvania home in Kintnersville by the FBI. The arrest resulted from an altercation he had with a Planned Parenthood escort in Philadelphia, during which Houck was accused of pushing the abortion clinic escort, who allegedly verbally harassed Houck's 12-year-old son outside the clinic.

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act was allegedly violated by Houck, who used force with the intent to harm, intimidate, and obstruct individuals who provide reproductive healthcare, according to the Biden administration.

Last year, Houck was found not guilty by a jury for protecting his son. Along with his wife, Ryan-Marie, they filed a lawsuit against the DOJ this year, claiming that the FBI used excessive force during the arrest and that the arrest was a result of a "faulty and malicious investigation."

Parents outraged over DOJ targeting school board meetings

In 2021, the DOJ and FBI faced criticism from parents across the country after Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo instructing the FBI to employ counterterrorism measures against parents who spoke out against transgender-related issues and critical race theory curricula at school board meetings.

The NSBA sent a letter to President Biden requesting an investigation into parents who were protesting at school board meetings and allegedly threatening school officials.

The Patriot Act was used to investigate parents' actions as "domestic terrorists" by the NSBA, which led to Garland's memo that did not use the phrase "domestic terrorist."

According to an interim report by the House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Attorney's offices across the country reported to Main Justice that there was no legitimate law enforcement justification for the Attorney General's directive to employ federal law enforcement and counterterrorism resources to investigate school board-related threats.

Last year, Garland testified before the Senate that the memo was intended to address violence and threats of violence against school personnel, not parents who were making complaints to their school board. Despite this, the memo sparked a wave of criticism from parents.

Last year, Tiffany Justice, founder of Moms for Liberty, told Planet Chronicle Digital that the FBI was used as a weapon by the DOJ against parents who spoke out about their concerns at the local level, specifically their school board.

Allegations of Biden family corruption not investigated

In his scathing 11-page letter to Wray, Grassley accused the FBI of assisting the Democrats' false information campaign regarding his probe into the alleged Biden family corruption.

Grassley accused the FBI of withholding bribery allegations against Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as Ukrainian officials while Biden served as vice president.

The FBI's failure to investigate bribery allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden, despite its strict scrutiny of former President Trump, is yet another example of the bureau's broken promises under your leadership. You have repeatedly claimed that you would ensure the FBI operates with justice, free of fear, favor, or partisan influence. However, under your watch, the FBI had possession of incriminating information against President Biden for three years until I exposed the existence of the record outlining those allegations, but did nothing to investigate it.

The FBI-generated FD-1023 form was at the center of the investigation, which alleged a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national regarding the exchange of money for policy decisions. Grassley obtained the document through legally protected disclosures by Department of Justice whistleblowers.

The FBI interviewed a "highly credible" confidential human source who had meetings and conversations with an executive of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden served on the board, over several years starting in 2015.

Last year, Biden rejected the accusations of bribery, characterizing them as "a heap of nonsense."

"Grassley accused Wray of failing to provide an explanation for any effort undertaken to obtain the financial records and other pieces of evidence referenced within the FD-1023, despite the DOJ and FBI's refusal to answer whether they investigated the substance of the document. This, he wrote, was reminiscent of Comey's leadership of the FBI, which he deemed shameful."

The FBI has consistently shown its dedication to answering Congress' inquiries and maintaining transparency with the public regarding Grassley's letter from last month.

"The FBI's Director Wray and Deputy Director Abbate have taken decisive measures to ensure accountability in the areas outlined in the letter and remain dedicated to providing updates on the ever-changing threat landscape and the remarkable efforts of the bureau."

Wray suggests Trump was hit by ‘shrapnel’ during first assassination attempt

In July, while delivering a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was targeted by an assassination attempt.

A shooter positioned on a nearby building's roof fired a series of shots that lightly scratched Trump's right ear and injured two attendees at a rally. Tragically, local father and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was fatally struck while shielding his loved ones.

During his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Wray faced criticism for questioning the authenticity of the bullet that supposedly harmed Trump during the assassination attempt.

At the hearing, Wray stated that there is some uncertainty regarding whether the object that struck former President Trump's ear was a bullet or shrapnel.

Trump blasted him online for the comment.

Trump wrote on Truth Social in July that he was not sure if he was hit by shrapnel, glass, or a bullet (the FBI never checked), but he was certain that Crooked Joe Biden was physically and cognitively "uneventful" - Wrong!

Unfortunately, a bullet struck my ear, causing significant damage. Despite the absence of glass or shrapnel, the hospital classified it as a "bullet wound to the ear." This has led to a loss of confidence in the once-respected FBI.

The FBI later confirmed that a bullet, either whole or fragmented, hit Trump.

This report was contributed to by Andrew Mark Miller and Brooke Singman of Planet Chronicle Digital.