The undue political influence: Former FBI Agents Organizations and their political power –
Organizations of former FBI agents engage in political advocacy and lobbying on specific issues related to law enforcement and agent welfare. The extent of their political influence is a subject of public debate and scrutiny, particularly amid broader discussions about the FBI’s role and alleged politicization. [1, 2, 3]
Key Organizations and Their ActivitiesFBI Agents Association (FBIAA): This non-profit organization represents more than 14,000 active and retired FBI agents. Its stated pillars include legislative lobbying and advocacy.
Lobbying Efforts: The FBIAA has actively lobbied Congress on specific legislative matters, such as advocating for a federal law to specifically address domestic terrorism as a standalone crime.
Advocacy on Agency Matters: The association takes public stances on internal agency issues, such as opposing the relocation of the FBI headquarters from Washington, D.C., arguing it is essential for quick access to the Department of Justice.
Opposition to Clemency: The FBIAA, alongside other law enforcement groups, has strongly opposed clemency or sentence commutation for individuals convicted of killing FBI agents, such as Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier.Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI (SFSAFBI): A professional and fraternal organization for former agents, it also participates in advocacy efforts, often aligning with the FBIAA on issues like opposing clemency for convicted individuals who killed agents.
“The Steady State” Group: In recent years, a group of former FBI, intelligence, and national security officials calling themselves “The Steady State” has formed to publicly criticize alleged political intrusions within the FBI’s senior leadership. They have spoken out against actions they claim are politically motivated, such as the firing of agents for refusing to show personal loyalty to a president, arguing this erodes the FBI’s independence. [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]Public Discourse on Political Influence
The question of undue political influence often centers on allegations from various political perspectives that the FBI, as an institution, has become politicized.Allegations of Bias: Republican members of Congress and conservative organizations have alleged political bias and an “irredeemably corrupt” bureaucracy within the FBI’s Washington hierarchy. Whistleblowers have approached the House Judiciary Committee with claims of misconduct and political bias by senior leadership.
Concerns about Independence: Conversely, other groups, including former agents’ organizations like “The Steady State,” have expressed concern over efforts by political figures to dismantle the FBI’s “long-standing independence” and transform it into a “personal enforcement arm of a political figure”. [1, 9, 13]These organizations play a role in the public and political sphere by leveraging their members’ expertise and credibility as former agents to advocate for their positions on policy, legislation, and the integrity of the Bureau itself. [14, 15, 16, 17]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] judiciary.house.gov/sites/ev…
[2] facebook.com/abc3340/posts/n…
[3] prweb.com/releases/first_fbi…
[4] washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/…
[5] facebook.com/wbalradio/posts…
[6] globalnews.ca/news/4607057/d…
[7] thestar.com/news/world/unite…
[8] timesofindia.indiatimes.com/…
[9] facebook.com/groups/72961935…
[10] facebook.com/FoxNews/posts/f…
[11] fbiaa.org/
[12] heritage.org/crime-and-justi…
[13] yahoo.com/news/articles/hist…
[14] d125.org/aconneen/citizenu/2…
[15] tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1…
[16] aei.org/articles/if-soft-mon…
[17] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George…Google Search google.com/search?q=The+undu…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Dec 9, 2025
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