Questions are swirling around the FBI after Deputy Director Paul Abbate’s testimony regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate former President Trump. Critics argue Abbate selectively disclosed Crooks’ right-wing social media activity while neglecting to mention his recent pro-Biden posts, suggesting political motives.
During a Senate hearing, Abbate discussed an account believed to belong to Crooks that shared antisemitic and anti-immigrant content between 2019 and 2020. “Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes,” Abbate stated, justifying the disclosure due to the absence of other information about Crooks’ motives.
However, Gab CEO Andrew Torba provided details about another account, “EpicMicrowave,” linked to Crooks, which posted pro-Biden content. According to Torba, this account supported Biden’s COVID lockdowns and immigration policies. “As of 2021, Crooks was a pro-lockdown, pro-immigration, left-wing Joe Biden supporter,” Torba posted on X.
The FBI’s Emergency Disclosure Request (EDR) for the EpicMicrowave account suggests the bureau believed it was linked to Crooks. Despite this, Torba could not confirm the account’s ownership, noting it was only briefly active in early 2021.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) questioned Abbate about the pro-Biden account during the hearing. Abbate admitted he had not reviewed the account personally but acknowledged it seemed to support pro-immigration and pro-lockdown views.
Blackburn criticized Abbate for omitting this significant information. “That was an earlier social media account. We still don’t know the platform or the user name,” she said.
Abbate’s past actions have also come under scrutiny. In 2023, a whistleblower accused him of intimidating FBI employees who questioned the bureau’s handling of the January 6th investigation. This history has further fueled doubts about the integrity of Abbate’s testimony and his intentions.
