Rep. Stephanie Bice, a Republican from Oklahoma, has accused the Biden administration of obstructing the FBI from briefing her about the arrest of an Afghan man accused of plotting a terror attack on Election Day. Bice claims that the FBI was prepared to fulfill her request for information, but the Justice Department intervened, blocking the briefing.
In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday, Bice stated that the administration’s denial of her request raises concerns about transparency and accountability. She questioned the Biden-Harris Department of Justice’s motives behind the decision, asking: “What does the Biden-Harris Department of Justice have to hide here?”
The accused individual, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, a 27-year-old Oklahoma resident, was apprehended this week for allegedly planning a terror attack on behalf of the Islamic State. He entered the United States a month after the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan on a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) humanitarian parole, rather than a special immigrant visa, as initially reported by the Justice Department.
The circumstances surrounding Tawhedi’s entry into the U.S. are particularly sensitive. The DHS inspector general previously expressed concerns about Operation Allies Welcome, the program through which the agency granted parole to Afghan refugees, bypassing the more rigorous vetting process associated with the State Department-run special immigrant visa (SIV) program.
In 2022, the DHS inspector general’s office released a report that highlighted shortcomings in the vetting process, stating that officials lacked crucial data to properly assess and inspect evacuees. As a result, the report warned that the DHS might have admitted individuals posing potential threats to national security and local communities.
Despite entering the U.S. on humanitarian parole, Tawhedi later applied for and received an SIV. A senior Biden administration official informed Fox News that Tawhedi underwent multiple rounds of vetting and that no red flags were raised.
Bice, however, remains unconvinced, stating that the allegations against Tawhedi further emphasize the potential risks associated with the administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the vetting of evacuees. She has requested a briefing on the matter as quickly as possible.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Bice’s office and the White House for comment.
