First on Fox: Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday to demand answers regarding a major federal law enforcement agency's “extreme” DEI practices in the wake of the horrific New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.
“While the facts surrounding this senseless attack continue to emerge, what we know is deeply disturbing: The suspect was in possession of weapons, explosive devices, and an ISIS flag. This horrific incident constitutes a blatant act of terrorism against the American homeland.” “The people of our country deserve to know whether federal law enforcement agencies are adequately capable of preventing and responding to such incidents,” Blackburn wrote in her letter to Wray on Friday, which was obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.
“To that end, I am deeply concerned that — under your leadership — the office has prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over its core mission of protecting the American people,” the Tennessee senator continued.
Chaos broke out The famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans Just after 3 a.m. on New Year's Day, when a truck plowed into crowds of holiday revelers. At least 14 people were killed and 30 others were injured.
Christopher Wray testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding his nomination to be FBI Director at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 12, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP) (Photo by: Mandel Ngan/AFP) via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The suspect, Shamsuddin Jabbar, an Army veteran from Texas and a two-time shooter, was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle during the attack. He was killed later Police shooting.
After the attack occurred on Wednesday morning, Blackburn took to social media to call for confirmation of President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, and to warn current leadership at the agency for allegedly being too focused on DEI practices. from “And fight criminals and terrorists.“
New Orleans Police and federal agents investigate a suspected terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2025. (Chris Granger/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
In her letter to Wray on Friday, Blackburn cited a recent report by a group of retired FBI agents who found that the FBI's “law enforcement and intelligence capabilities are deteriorating because the FBI is no longer recruiting the best and brightest candidates.” In addition to the hiring of the FBI's chief diversity officer in 2021, the New Orleans field office hosted a “diversity agent hiring event” in July as evidence of The agency's increasing focus on DEI.
“Recently, in a striking example of tone-deafness, the FBI's New Orleans field office thought it important to brag about In her letter: “Protecting the public has put Americans at risk, and the terrorist attack on January 1 was the inevitable result.”
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“Simply put, your focus on DEI initiatives at the FBI has put our national security and the lives of all Americans at risk. Americans now feel increasingly unsafe due to incidents like the January 1 terrorist attack, and the FBI's prioritization of diversity over competence shows Blackburn continued: “Their concerns are well-founded. Fortunately, the American people have spoken, and President Trump will soon restore law and order to our nation.”
The FBI took the lead on the case on Wednesday, first taking issue with Trump's allies and voters, including initially telling the public that the attack was not an example of terrorism.
Christopher Wray, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We will lead the investigation into this event. This is not a terrorist event,” FBI New Orleans Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
However, during the same press conference, the Democratic mayor of New Orleans contradicted Duncan's comment and did not address the details that the city faced an act of terrorism.
When asked about Duncan's comment, the FBI directed Fox News Digital on Thursday to three press releases published the previous day, detailing that the attack was being investigated as a terrorist incident. Press releases also indicated that an ISIS flag was found in the suspect's truck.
“This morning, a subject drove his car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing several people and injuring dozens of others. The subject was then dealt with by local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is leading One of his three statements provided to Fox Digital: “We are working with an investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”
Blackburn continued her letter to Wray by asking five questions related to the FBI's DEI hiring practices, including: How many FBI employees are hired based on the Bureau's DEI initiatives; How DEI initiatives are funded and whether any FBI funds have been reallocated to such initiatives; In addition to the number of individuals hired during the Diversity Agent Recruitment Event organized by the New Orleans Field Office in July.
Military personnel walk down Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
“Has the Bureau recently terminated the employment of any FBI agents who assist the FBI's National Security Branch with counterterrorism and intelligence components?” Blackburn asked in her final questions. In the online post about the July 17 event, Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans, Lionel Merthel, was quoted as saying that “the diversity of our employees is the most valuable resource we have in…. . Keeping Americans safe. Do you agree with this statement?
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies work the scene on Bourbon Street after at least ten people were killed when someone drove into the crowd in the early morning hours of New Year's Day on January 1, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dozens were injured after the suspect in a rented pickup truck allegedly drove around barricades and into a crowd of New Year's revelers on Bourbon Street. The suspect then got out of the vehicle, opened fire on police officers, and was then killed by law enforcement. (Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
Wray announced that he will step down from the FBI at the end of President Biden's term this month, after Trump nominated Kash Patel for the position. Wray was first nominated under the first Trump administration and is in the middle of a 10-year term that won't end until 2027.
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“until The President-elect's nominee to lead the FBI “Confirmed, the American people deserve to know the extent to which your extreme DEI agenda has damaged our national security,” Blackburn wrote to Wray, calling on him to answer her questions by January 10.
