“Can we do some work to nail down Trump’s role in this?”

That line—written by Deputy Special Counsel JP Cooney on March 8, 2023, was directed to colleagues inside the Department of Justice. Cooney, a veteran of both the Robert Mueller investigation and Jack Smith’s “get-Trump” special counsel probe, was referring to a newly published Forbes article. The subject line of his email read: “J6 Prisoner Choir/DJT.”

The article, which Cooney attached to the email, accused former President Donald Trump of participating in a recording of the Pledge of Allegiance at his Florida home. It alleged that Trump, along with former Pentagon Chief of Staff Kash Patel and ex-Fox News anchor Ed Henry, was involved in a fundraising effort for the families of January 6 defendants—excluding those charged with assaulting police officers. The article further claimed that any profits from the recording were routed through a limited liability company (LLC) run by Henry.

Cooney’s involvement in both the Mueller and Smith investigations illustrates what critics call a revolving door of partisan prosecutors trained on Trump. His March 2023 email reflects a broader cultural shift within the DOJ—from evidence-driven inquiry to outcome-oriented prosecution. The subject line alone hints at the triviality of the spark—a fundraiser video—but what followed shows a troubling eagerness to convert even minor events into federal charges.

Rather than treat the Forbes piece as commentary, Cooney urged colleagues to explore potential criminal angles, specifically targeting Henry’s LLC. The email was distributed to eight DOJ and FBI officials, including FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina.

Giardina, known inside the bureau as “Agent Zero” for his central role in operations against Trump and his allies—replied that he was already investigating the matter. He famously orchestrated the arrest of Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro, having him shackled and imprisoned over a contempt of Congress charge, making Navarro the first White House official in history jailed on such grounds.

But Giardina’s record doesn’t end there. He was instrumental in Operation Crossfire Hurricane, the discredited Russia collusion probe, and a direct recipient of the Steele Dossier. Whistleblowers told Senator Chuck Grassley that Giardina openly expressed his disdain for Trump and was willing to pursue investigations “even if it meant using false charges.” Worse still, Grassley’s report notes that Giardina later wiped his FBI-issued laptop outside of proper records retention protocol.

After Navarro’s conviction, another email surfaced – this time from known anti-Trump FBI agent Tim Thibault – who responded to news of Navarro’s imprisonment with a chilling message: “Wow. Great.” Thibault, Giardina, and Supervisory Agent Blair Toleman were also reportedly behind another Trump-related probe, code-named Arctic Frost.

Senator Grassley has since submitted his findings to Attorney General Pam Bondi and newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel. Last week, Grassley released internal FBI communications appearing to show agents celebrating Navarro’s indictment, an act he called further proof of deep and dangerous politicization within the bureau.

“Their conduct is disgraceful and un-American,” Grassley stated.

Let’s be clear: this was not simply an investigation into a political figure. It was a concerted effort by our own government to target not just a former president, but the democratic will of the American people. Rather than prioritizing the nation’s rising crime rate – up 4.5% at the time – the FBI focused its tax-payer funded resources on Trump and his associates.

Thanks to Senator Grassley’s investigation and the persistent reporting of New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, these abuses are finally coming to light. But the deeper question remains: how much institutional damage has already been done?

The weaponization of federal agencies for political gain has troubling historical parallels – from COINTELPRO’s (Counter Intelligence Program) surveillance of civil rights leaders from 1956 through 1971, to the IRS targeting conservative nonprofits, such as the Tea Party, a decade ago. What makes this era unique is the full weight of federal law enforcement being aimed at a former, and ultimately future president.

It’s time the Department of Justice launch formal investigations into figures like Cooney, Giardina, Thibault, and Toleman for what many Americans view as not just biased overreach, but potentially treasonous conduct.

Tragically, the shadow of the perverted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover still hangs over Washington, DC – a lasting stain on the integrity of federal law enforcement.