“This letter is more a toddler’s temper tantrum than serious congressional oversight. It’s filled with shameless lies about our clients that would get him sued if he wasn’t protected by the Constitution’s Speech or Debate privilege.

“It is common practice for federal agencies to settle legal or administrative complaints against them, which (as Empower Oversight made public on March 19, 2025) virtually all of the whistleblowers had against the FBI at the time of the settlements. Empower Oversight been transparent at every step about its case for making these whistleblowers whole, with hundreds of pages documenting the flaws in FBI actions against these employees. In fact, two of our clients who received settlements were FBI Security Division employees retaliated against for exposing the FBI’s use of the security clearance process for reprisal against other Empower Oversight clients–a wrong even the Biden-era FBI recognized when it reinstated our client Marcus Allen’s security clearance.”

Background

On May 12, 2026, Representative Jamie Raskin released a letter to Acting Attorney General Blanche about various settlement agreements, including five that involve current or former clients of Empower Oversight who previously worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). In addition to misrepresenting the cases against our clients and possibly causing unfounded damage to their reputations, the letter shows a profound misunderstanding of the difficulties that FBI whistleblowers, and FBI employees as a whole, face. Instead of attacking the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for righting these wrongs, Rep. Raskin should call for reforms to protect all FBI employees of all political stripes from abuses.

Rep. Raskin leaves out the fact that FBI officials have a history of manipulating administrative proceedings, particularly security clearance matters, to force out employees for whistleblowing, exercising their First Amendment rights, or to prevent them from having the benefit of the FBI’s disciplinary process. While that disciplinary process is flawed and can be manipulated as well, the FBI’s suspension of security clearances—when it has no authority to do so under statute, executive orders, or the Code of Federal Regulations—is a far more insidious action. It results in the immediate, indefinite suspension of the employee without pay. The employee has no means to appeal the decision, and there is no deadline for the suspension. Meanwhile, the FBI claims that employees are restricted from taking further employment. Essentially, a clearance suspension is a financial death sentence that the FBI uses to force out employees whom it does not want to give due process. Also, the abuse does not end if the FBI decides to revoke a security clearance, because that only begins another process that has no deadline and, like the suspensions, can last years.

Another key error in Rep. Raskin’s letter is that while some of our clients expressed strong conservative views, several did not share those views and did not support President Trump at all. In fact, clients of diverse political viewpoints spoke out against the abuses of the security clearance process that were perpetrated against our other clients. Those security clearance whistleblowers suffered reprisal as a result.

Responses related to specific employees referred to in Rep. Raskin’s letter

Agent 1 – Agent 1 did not communicate any classified information. The FBI review referred to by Rep. Raskin was a hurried set of allegations by FBI Security Division that were debunked when Agent 1 was finally given an opportunity to respond. FBI Security Division failed to recognize that much of the allegedly leaked information was already public. Similar information had been released prior to the reporter ever meeting Agent 1. There were sources from those previous releases who were in a better position than Agent 1 to provide the information that Security Division alleged was leaked, and an investigation of Agent 1 by counterintelligence investigators cleared him. In fact, FBI counterintelligence officials were so convinced of Agent 1’s innocence that other investigators subsequently asked him to help on a Chinese espionage investigation and gave him access to classified information. Agent 1 was falsely accused of meeting with the reporter in violation of FBI policy, when he was allowed to participate in the events where he met her, and he had reported the meetings to his supervisor. He was targeted because of his political beliefs and hesitancy to take the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, contrary to what Rep. Raskin suggests, Agent 1’s resignation is an example of the fundamental unfairness of the FBI’s suspension of security clearances. He was left with no means to support his family while the FBI claimed it had the authority to restrict him from taking another job. There was no deadline and no means to appeal this indefinite suspension, so he was forced to resign.

Agent 2 – Contrary to Rep. Raskin’s letter, on its own, the FBI Security Division rescinded its decision to revoke Agent 2’s clearance prior to any settlement agreement. Agent 2 had provided evidence showing that he had not knowingly entered the restricted area on January 6, 2021, because barriers had been taken down prior to his arrival. He passed a polygraph examination with the OIG confirming that. The FBI Security Division had previously ignored photographic and video evidence confirming his statement as well. The OIG investigation showed that he did not lack candor in his statements.

Agent 4 – Contrary to Rep. Raskin’s letter, prior to Agent 4’s involvement, the FBI had investigated the Patriot Front and determined the group was nonviolent and its activities were constitutionally protected. Nonetheless, Agent 4 actively participated in a new investigation of the Patriot Front. When prosecutors removed exculpatory information about the group from a search warrant affidavit, agents refused to swear to its accuracy. Agent 4 was pressured to find an agent ignorant of the exculpatory information to attest to the misleading affidavit. When Agent 4 refused, he was subjected to reprisals. The warrant was obtained without notifying the court of the exculpatory information. No inculpatory evidence was obtained as a result of the improperly obtained warrant, and no one was charged with a federal offense. In fact, several state charges were dismissed, in part, because exculpatory information found on the searched devices was not produced and federal prosecutors refused to disclose the improper search warrant affidavit to defense attorneys. Agent 4 never engaged in commercial sex. He had pending employment claims when his settlement agreement was reached.

Special Agent Garret O’Boyle – O’Boyle did not disclose any classified information. He made unclassified protected disclosures to members of Congress and discussed unclassified FBI matters with active FBI employees. Considering Project Veritas is a domestic group that was being investigated for buying a stolen diary belonging to President Biden’s daughter, it is unlikely that there was any classified national security information in that case. The revocation of his clearance was pending as were employment claims when the settlement agreement was reached. 

Other background material

August 26, 2025 press release           

August 26, 2025 letter to Grassley

March 19, 2025 press release

March 19, 2025 press release

March 18, 2025 press release

March 5, 2025 letter to Ramer

March 3, 2025 press release

Feb 13, 2025 whistleblower quotes

Jan. 2025 FOIA lawsuit filing can be found here.

FOIA requests related to Jan. 2025 lawsuit:

Feb. 23, 2024

March 5, 2024  

July 10, 2024 

Sept. 26, 2024 

Jan. 22, 2024 letter to Horowitz, Ragsdale

Jan. 23, 2024 letter to Ramer, Horowitz

April 26, 2023 letter to Horowitz

Garret O’Boyle statement

Zachary Schoffstall statement

Mike Zummer statement

The post Leavitt Response to Congressional Letter Filled with Lies about Empower Oversight Clients appeared first on Empower Oversight.

Upon revealing the list, the Washingtonian President and CEO wrote, “Each year, we publish a special issue featuring the 500 most influential people in Washington. With changes in policy direction coming at breakneck speed, the expertise and strategic acumen of these power players have never been more crucial as they work to understand and shape rapidly shifting priorities across the capital.

“Our selection process remains rigorous, and we acknowledge that there are far more than 500 influential voices in Washington. We focus on several key factors: individuals with deep subject-matter expertise who understand how to effectively drive action in DC; those who grasp the nuances and complexities of specific policy areas; and experts in fields that are experiencing particularly dramatic change under the current administration.”

For the full list click here.

The post Washingtonian Honors Empower Oversight Founder as 500 Most Influential People of 2026 appeared first on Empower Oversight.

The request seeks documents that shed light on potential systemic failures in hospice oversight, and on how the agency has identified, responded to, or declined to act on known fraud indicators.

Hospice fraud has been extensively documented both in New York and nationwide. The Vice President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud has charged eight individuals with defrauding the health care system of more than $50 million, and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has launched an investigation into what it describes as “rampant hospice fraud.”

“Because hospice care does not provide curative treatment, the hospice benefit is uniquely vulnerable to exploitation by bad actors seeking to profit from the system,” said Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt.

The records request targets four key areas: complaints, investigations, and enforcement actions against hospice providers, including fraud schemes involving ghost patients and improper billing; licensing controls and internal policies governing hospice certification and fraud detection; inter-agency communications with the governor’s office and federal bodies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Justice; and billing audits, program integrity reports, and data analyses flagging abnormal patterns or overpayments.

This filing is the latest in Empower Oversight’s ongoing, multi-state investigation into the misuse of federal funds. The organization has already filed similar requests:

• Empower Oversight pressed the California Department of Public Health for comprehensive records related to hospice fraud and oversight failures, focusing on how the agency responded, or failed to respond, to known fraud indicators, including suspicious clustering of hospice providers at single addresses, abnormal billing patterns, and unusually high reimbursement rates.
  
• In January 2026, Empower Oversight filed a records request with the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families targeting that state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which receives approximately $185 million in federal funds annually. Minnesota was among five states subject to a federal funding freeze and has faced sustained scrutiny over empty childcare facilities and improper payments identified by federal inspectors.
  
• Empower Oversight filed a Freedom of Information Law request with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, seeking records related to the oversight and integrity of New York’s own CCAP, a program that distributed more than $1.1 billion in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.

For a copy of the letter click here.

###

The post Empower Oversight Widens State Fraud Queries to New York Hospice Regulator appeared first on Empower Oversight.

Empower Oversight’s request comes as reports show that empty New York City preschool facilities have cost taxpayers nearly $100 million in rent and utilities alone, with at least 28 sites meant to serve nearly 3,800 children sitting idle.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suspended access to certain federal childcare and family assistance funds for New York and four other states amid concerns about fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars. HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill described the situation as “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant” in state-administered childcare programs.

Empower Oversight’s request seeks investigative reports, inspection findings, enforcement records, and communications related to childcare providers suspected of fraud — including any records related to the federal funding freeze and the Administration for Children and Families’ Defend the Spend initiative.

“The federal government has become so big and unwieldy, with little oversight, from either Congress or the executive branch. It’s past time to get to the bottom of how federal dollars are being used in the states. Taxpayers deserve transparency and the knowledge that their taxes are going to those who need it most,” Empower Oversight president Tristan Leavitt said.

This request is part of Empower Oversight’s broader, ongoing investigation into fraud utilizing federal taxpayer funds across multiple states. In January 2026, Empower Oversight filed a similar records request with the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families targeting that state’s CCAP, which receives approximately $185 million in federal funds annually. Minnesota was among the five states subject to the federal funding freeze and has faced sustained scrutiny over empty childcare facilities and improper payments identified by federal inspectors.

In addition, the organization has pressed for comprehensive records from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) related to hospice fraud and oversight failures across California. The request for information centered around how CDPH responded, or failed to respond, to known fraud indicators, including suspicious clustering of hospice providers at single addresses, abnormal billing patterns, and unusually high reimbursement rates per patient.

For a copy of the letter, click here.

###

The post Empower Oversight Expands State Fraud Inquiry into New York appeared first on Empower Oversight.

The post Tristan Leavitt and Chris Dodge Discuss Shielded by Power documentary on The Jenny Beth Show appeared first on Empower Oversight.

Tristan details how these investigators were stopped from looking into former President Joe Biden and were tipped off before they could search certain properties. Now, these IRS investigators are speaking out in the new documentary to show how the system was allegedly rigged to protect the Biden family.

Listen to the episode here.

The post Jason in the House: Exposing The Suppression Of The Hunter Biden Investigation appeared first on Empower Oversight.

The post Just the News Features Whistleblower Scott Dexter and Empower Oversight’s Bobby Cheren appeared first on Empower Oversight.

The post Tristan Leavitt joins Just the News to Discuss Shielded by Power Documentary appeared first on Empower Oversight.

Tristan Leavitt, the president of Empower Oversight, which represented IRS supervisory special agent Gary Shapley and IRS special agent Joseph Ziegler in their efforts to share the truth about the deeply flawed federal inquiry into Hunter Biden. Leavitt told key Republican lawmakers on Wednesday that the documentary featuring Shapley, Ziegler, and others seemed to be being suppressed by Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Google.

“We write to alert you to alarming big tech suppression of […] a campaign to fund the production of our documentary Shielded By Power: The Whistleblowers vs. the Big Guy,” Leavitt said in his letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer also a Republican representing Ohio, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

A copy of the letter was also sent to the Trump White House…

For the full story, click here.

The post Just The News: Déjà vu: Hunter Biden whistleblower documentary ads ‘suppressed’ by Big Tech, lawyers suggest appeared first on Empower Oversight.

The documentary, Shielded by Power: The Whistleblowers vs. The Big Guy, tells the story of IRS Special Agents turned whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who blew the whistle to Congress on the Hunter Biden investigation, disclosing that Hunter Biden’s laptop had been accessed via a signed search warrant, had been in FBI possession since fall 2019, and had been authenticated months before the New York Post published its reporting. That reporting was suppressed by Facebook and Twitter in October 2020 — a decision Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg later acknowledged to Congress was a mistake.

In a letter to members of Congress, Empower Oversight explained that after launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo — which itself delayed the project’s launch by several weeks by seeking changes to the campaign’s content — the organization launched digital advertising on Meta, Google, and X directing viewers to shieldedbypower.com.

None of the ads have run at this time, despite representatives of Empower Oversight meeting every condition required. Meta permanently suspended the Facebook ad account of Empower Oversight’s ads manager, wiping user data from unrelated prior ads. Google suspended the organization’s ads account as well.

In fact, during one lengthy conversation, a Meta customer service representative stated the platform does not “support the scope of this content,” which is reminiscent of the platform’s prior attempts at viewpoint discrimination.

In the letter, Empower Oversight president Tristan Leavitt wrote that Meta’s conduct “constitutes suppression of the story of Facebook’s very own past actions on this exact same topic. We knew Hollywood would not want to see our documentary made. But to be censored by one of the same social media companies that suppressed this story previously raises significant questions about the truthfulness of their responses to past congressional oversight.”

The documentary is being produced in partnership with Fruition Productions. To support the production, visit shieldedbypower.com.

For a copy of the letter, click here.

###

The post Big Tech Buried the Laptop Story, Now It’s Burying the Film About It appeared first on Empower Oversight.