Tom (Retired FBI Agent)

The thing that I want you to listen to, as I've listened to you, and I want the audience to hear, is that the organization that I work for, which is made up of thousands of human beings who have all the flaws of every person, but the organizational culture that I was raised in, that I served,

put a premium on integrity and doing the right thing.

Are there agents that give- And I believe you.

Americans about the FBI and about its actions and have mischaracterized the FBI.

Actually, I think it's because they're being lied to frequently by figures in the media.

By whom?

Well, you're doing it right now.

In this day and age, all of us, no matter who you are,

We're influenced by the information we take in.

And depending on what source we turn to, that will shape our perception.

The mission of the FBI is the most diverse of any federal law enforcement agency.

It is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, a variety of criminal offenses from white collar crime to organized crime, public corruption.

And it has had the unpleasant duty of being brought into investigations of very prominent political figures who have very passionate constituencies.

And there's a natural tendency that if you support someone and they become the subject of an investigation and the media sources you're placing your trust into are presenting the FBI as being motivated by a political agenda.

I would just caution your viewers to

take into account that very often the people alleging the so-called political motivation of the FBI are themselves hyper-partisan and perhaps have a political reason for doing so.

It may be a sincere.

I mean, I don't doubt that Michael's views are sincere, but from his other comments in the episode, it's clear he has very strong political views as well.

And perhaps the sources of information that he's taking in are shaping his view.

And so he sees every action of the FBI as,