Despite its reputation, Congress comprises lots of really good people; not all of them, but most of them. For those that have served, thank you for your time and sacrifices. Serving with you was an honor and a privilege.
Writing a book was new but I was fortunate to have Elaine Lafferty to guide me. She is an exceptional talent who brought her know-how to writing and compiling The Deep State. It could not have happened without her skills and touch. Thank you!
Eric Nelson from Broadside/HarperCollins had the vision and perfect approach to coach a rookie author. With a world of options in front of him, he believed in us. Eric Meyers provided critical administrative help. I appreciate his expertise and professional approach. I can’t thank them and our publisher enough for turning this book into a reality.
David Larabell from Creative Artists Agency (CAA) had the belief in me and the ability to put together a win-win situation for all. This man has skills!
I am also very thankful to Rupert Murdoch and the Fox News family. After thirteen years in politics with eight and half years in the U.S. Congress, I wanted to apply my perspective and share my insights. Fox News was a perfect fit. As I started day one at Fox News, I asked what they wanted from me. “Just you be you. Be authentic and tell us what you really think.” That is all they ever asked for, and I am humbled to be a contributor to such an important organization.
But what matters most to me, what has the greatest impact, and where I am truly blessed, is my family.
My wife, Julie, is the sweetest person I have ever met. My love for her and our children is the most important part of my life. I could not do what I do, or achieve what I have been able to achieve, without her and our wonderful, talented, understanding children. Being in politics is a crazy business, but the cohesive part of our family is Julie. Without her I would be lost. Thank you, Julie, from every ounce of my body. Thank you!
And to our kids, thank you for your never-ending patience. I was gone more than I was home when I was in Congress. I missed a lot, but most of all I missed the time with each of you. You always said you understood, but you will never know how deeply my heart ached being away night after night.
I hope you enjoy the book as much I have had putting it together.
God bless,
Jason Chaffetz
Index
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.
AFRICOM (African Command), 100–101
Alexander, Tom, 96, 122–23
Al Qaeda, 104, 145
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 16
Americans for Prosperity, 77
Attkisson, Sharyl, 59, 144
Banks, Leo W., 55
Bannon, Steve, 155
Beale, John C., 24–33, 168
Belknap, William, 91
Benghazi, Libya
attack on U.S. Embassy, 95–96, 98–99, 114, 116–17
Chaffetz investigation, ix–x, 96–107, 111–26
Clinton and, x, 95, 104
Clinton’s private email server revealed during investigation, 126
Duval and document production, 88–89
heroes of the attack, 125–26
House Select Committee on, 116
Obama’s reelection campaign and, 96, 104, 105
Panetta’s explanation for not sending help, 102–3
preservation letter sent to Clinton, 96–97
Rice’s statement about, 95–96, 104, 126
State Department lawyer sent as “minder” or spy during investigation, ix–x, 101–5, 111, 115, 118–20
truth about, x, 95
whistleblower Wood and, 97–99
YouTube video as attack cause (official story), 96, 104, 126
Bertram, Paul, 36, 42
Boehner, John, 88
Border Patrol, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 64–65, 172–73
border security, 56–59, 63–66, 169–84
Trump’s wall and, 66, 169, 179, 184
See also immigration; Operation Fast and Furious
Bourdain, Anthony, 181
Brandeis, Louis, 209
Brandon, Thomas, 141
Brennan, John, 167
Benghazi cover-up and, 106
Brenner, Robert, 25–26, 27, 31, 32–33
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 54–55
Office of Professional Responsibility, 144
Operation Fast and Furious, 54–62, 66, 69–70, 132–33, 138–42, 144
whistleblower Cefalu and, 63
whistleblower Dodson and, 144
Burke, Dennis, 61
Burr, Thomas, 19–20
Burton, Jefferson, 97–98
Bush, Jeb, xiii
California
sanctuary cities and, 177, 178
technology industry and H1B visa program, 179–80
Camp, David, 83
Camus, Timothy, 87–88
Carraway, Melvin, 13
Carson, Ben, 168
Carter, Buddy, 90
Carter, Jimmy, xiii
Carwile, Kevin, 133
Cato Institute, 77
CBS News, 135
Clinton’s embassy redesign covered, 168
FOIA request by, 133–34
Cefalu, Vince, 63
Center for Immigration Studies, 171
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Brennan and, 106, 167
Haspel appointment and, 167
Chaffetz, Jason
“Audit the Fed” bill, 5–7
Benghazi investigation, ix–x, 96–107, 111–26
bills on federal employee tax delinquency, 195–99
call to action by, 223
confrontation with the Deep State, ix–x
decision to leave Congress, 156
Deep State retaliation and, 48–50
desire to impeach Koskinen and, 90, 92–93
disappearance of Lerner’s emails and, 86
election of Trump and, 151–52
Fast and Furious scandal and, 75
Forest Service investigation and, 147–49
hearings on criminal aliens and, 175
House Oversight Committee and, 10, 18, 25, 32–33, 37–41, 43, 48, 51–52, 96, 131, 159, 175, 222
management by walking around, 63, 107–9
oversight of EPA and, 37–41
oversight of Secret Service and, 48–50
Pagliano refusal to testify and, 154, 155–56
questioning FOIA administrators, 211
Sessions supporting the Deep State and, 153–55
subpoena power and, 131
testimony of Turk and, 138–42
testing airport scanners by, 17–18
testing the TSA by, 16
trips to the U.S.-Mexico border, 63–65
trip to Libya, ix–10, 99–106, 111–21
trip to Papua, New Guinea, 126–29
TSA harassment of, 19–20
Chaffetz, Joseph Carroll, 183
Chaffetz, Maxwell, 183
Cherny, Robert W., 73
Chertoff, Michael, 15
Clancy, Joseph P., 47, 48, 50
Clapper, James, 157, 158
Clay, Lacy, 198
Clinton, Bill, 9, 120
Clinton, Chelsea, 104
Clinton, Hillary, xiii, 9, 120
Benghazi and, x, 95, 96–97, 104–5
Clinton Foundation irregularities, 152
Deep State and, 105
election loss, supporter reactions, 151, 159
email server of, 105, 126, 135, 152, 153, 154, 160–61
FBI investigation of, 102, 137, 143, 153, 160, 161–63, 208, 212, 213
laws broken by, 160
lying to congressional investigators, 189
Obama support for, 166
OIG report on email investigation, 206
preservation letter sent to, 96–97
as scanda
l-ridden, 152
as Secretary of State, x, 127, 168, 215
Trump “dossier” and, 157
at Trump’s wedding, xiv
Uranium One deal, 152
Clinton Foundation, 152, 153
CNBC, 81
CNN, 157
Comey and Clapper leaking to, 157
selective coverage by, 75
Colsky, Andrew, 134, 145
Comey, Jim, 143, 153
book written by, 158
firing of, 165
leaking by, 157, 158
on Obama’s comments regarding Clinton email case, 166
reopening of Clinton email investigation by, 212
Trump “dossier” and, 157, 158
Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy, 212–13
Congress
advice and consent powers, 91, 92–93
“Audit the Fed” bill, 5–7
budgetary authority, 190–91
cloture rule and, 166–67
confirmation of Trump appointments, 166–68
Constitutional checks and balances, oversight duties, 43–44, 51–52, 107–9, 185, 189, 219–22
contempt for Congress, enforcing power of, 136, 186–87, 222
enforcing cooperation with, 89–90
funding powers of, 4–5
Holder held in Contempt, 71
House’s discharge petition, 6
House voting, number needed to pass a bill, 6
impeachment power, 90–92, 189–90
IRS scandal investigation and, 80, 190
judicial access to information and, 187–88
lying to, 67, 69, 77–94, 188–89
Obama administration concealing information from, 69–71
OLC used to override, 191–92
principle of congressional immunity, 222
subpoena power, 51–54, 131–50
See also House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; House Judiciary Committee; specific committees
Connolly, Marc, 47
Constitution of the United States
advice and consent powers, 91
checks and balances, 43–44, 107–9, 157
congressional oversight and, 160, 189
dismissal of civil officers and, 90
executive power and law enforcement, 160
separation of powers, 191, 192
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), xiv, 1–12
characteristics of, 3–4
cronyism and corruption in, 8–12
director controversy, 9–11
funding of, 3, 4–5, 7
funds paid to an ad agency by, 9
“guidance” by, 7–8
mission of, 2–3, 7
Mulvaney and, 10–12
number of employees, 4
reality of, 3–8
spending by, 4, 5, 7
transparency lacking for, 4
Coolidge, Calvin, 73
Cordray, Richard, 10, 11
Cotton, Tom, 167
Crane, Chris, 174
Cruz, Ted, 80
Cummings, Elijah
Beale investigation and, 33
on Chaffetz federal employee tax delinquencies bill, 198
criminal referral for Moure-Eraso, 189
leaking about Chaffetz and, 50
Meiburg hearing and, 41–42
NTEU employees and, 205
Obama White House and, 164
Pagliano refusal to testify and, 135, 136
Daily Beast, 49–50
Daily Caller, 197
Daily Show, The (TV show), 32
Daily Signal, 144
Daschle, Linda, 15
Daschle, Tom, 15
Deep State, 185–217
agenda of, xi
avoiding document requests, 132–35, 187–88, 209, 210–15
avoiding witness testimony, 135–42
Benghazi and, 96, 104–5, 119, 120, 124, 125
CFPB and, 1–12
classic behavior of, 147
classification abuse, 212–13
Clinton and, 105, 126
concealing truth, x, 108, 126
confronting, 92–93
congressional oversight and powers against, xi, 131–49, 185–92
cover-ups and, 40–41, 43, 46, 104–5, 209
daring to challenge, 149
defined, xiii
disruption of, 185
DOJ, Sessions, and, 153–55
DOJ as pillar of, 51
EPA as embodiment of, 42
federal workforce and, 185, 192–206
FOIA requests and, 132, 133, 210–13
funding of, xii, 190–91
Holder’s contempt for Congress and, 73–76
intelligence community and, 158
inventing privilege, 69–71
lack of accountability, 32, 42, 50, 208
Obama and, 64, 104
Obama holdovers and, 169, 170, 172, 174, 178–79
president in power and, 74–75
protecting its own, 84, 89, 94
reality of, xii–xiii
selective law enforcement and, 124
sluggish bureaucratic response and, 121
State Department and, ix–x, 101, 120, 126
stopping Trump attempts, xiv, 150, 157, 162, 185
Teapot Dome Scandal and, 71–73
transparency to counter, 185, 206–17
Trump as threat to, x, xiii–xiv, 149–50
violation of a citizen’s rights and, 50
what it does, x–xi
whistleblowers and, 144
who it is, x–xi, xii–xiii, 150
Democracy Journal, 1
Democrats/Democratic Party
allegations against Trump, 166
Beale and, 25
CFPB and, 3, 7, 11
Clinton’s “deplorables,” xiv
congressional immunity and, 222
Cummings-Jarrett relationship, 163–64
Deep State and, xiii, 150
delaying Trump nominations, 167
double standard regarding Trump administration, 163–66, 167
Duluth, Minn. and, 25
federal employee tax delinquency bills and, 195–99
hatred of Trump, 167
Holder held in Contempt and, 71
illegal immigration and, 178, 179
labor unions and, 193
left-wing of, 1–2
Obama-Margolis relationship, 9
Pagliano testimony and, 136, 154
presidency of Jackson and, 220, 222
progressive agenda, 3–4
subpoenas, impeachment powers and, 186, 190
Trump as threat to, 157
Trump “dossier” and, 157
TSA scanners and, 15
union influence on VA bill and, 203–4
See also Clinton, Hillary; Cummings, Elijah; Obama, Barack; Obama administration
Department of Defense (DOD)
congressional oversight and, 107–8
discretionary budget and, 107
employee revolving door, 202
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
cronyism and corruption in, 15–16
former secretary Chertoff, 15
illegal immigration problems, 171
investigation of Secret Service misconduct and, 48, 49, 50
lack of oversight for, 18
report on passenger screening, 20–21
Secret Service and, 44
See also Secret Service; Transportation Security Administration
Department of Justice (DOJ), xi, xiii, 51–67
California sanctuary cities and, 177–78
calls for second special counsel to investigate bias at, 161, 208
classification abuse and redactions, 133, 213
Clinton’s preferential treatment by, 160
discretion to prosecute, 54
employee compensation, 51
&nb
sp; enforcement of congressional subpoenas and, 52–54
Fast and Furious Scandal and, 54–62
grand jury secrecy rule, 131, 213–14
IGs’ criminal referrals and, 207–8
IRS scandal investigation and, 80, 82, 83, 89
IRS settlement for Tea Party clients, 93
need for federal prosecution of perjury, 188–89
number of employees, 51, 160
Obama’s relationship with, 164
as pillar of the Deep State, 51
refusal to prosecute Lerner, 88
refusal to prosecute Moure-Eraso, 156
refusal to prosecute Pagliano, 154–56
Sessions supporting the Deep State, 153–55
stonewalling congressional requests, 186–87
subversion of congressional oversight, 52–53
tactics for avoiding compliance with document requests, 132–35
uniform enforcement of the law needed, 124, 188
zero-tolerance policy for illegal border crossers, 172
Department of State
attack on Benghazi embassy and, 116–17, 126
Clinton’s Design Excellence embassy design, 127, 168
concealment of Benghazi witnesses, 105–7
Deep State and, ix–x, 101, 120, 126
“minders” or spies for, ix–x, 101–5, 111, 115, 118–20, 126–30
paper-based record-keeping system at, 215
Port Moresby embassy, 126–29
Powell’s Standard Embassy Design (SED), 127
security protocols and lapses, 115, 117–18, 122
stonewalling FOIA requests, 211
travel by congressional members and, 108
treatment of Benghazi heroes, 125–26
Tripoli embassy, 99, 104, 114–16, 117–18
whistleblower Nordstrom and, 122–24
See also Benghazi, Libya
Department of the Treasury, 44, 55, 82, 85, 87
employee union, 205–6
See also Internal Revenue Service
Department of Veterans Affairs
ability to fire workers and, 193–94
Phoenix scandal, 193, 203
union influence and bill, 203–4
DeSantis, Ron, 90
Diangelo, Craig, 180
Dobbs, Lou, 153
Dodd, Christopher, 3
Dodd-Frank Act, 2, 3
Dodson, John, 144
Doheny, Edward L., 72–73
Doherty, Glen, 95, 107
drug smuggling, Southern border, 56–59, 63, 174, 177–78
Duane, William, 89
Duval, Catherine (Kate), 85–86, 88–89
Eaton, John, 220
Ecuador, 177
Eggleston, Neil, 164
English, Leandra, 10, 11