Chairman Rand Paul, who leads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has released documents that detail a 23-month FBI investigation into Christine Crowder, a Catholic school teacher from Texas. Crowder attended President Trump’s rally on January 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., to exercise her First Amendment rights. According to the records, the FBI labeled her a domestic terrorist based solely on an unverified tip from a former friend. Early investigative efforts showed negative results for facial recognition and geolocation searches and found no evidence of criminal or extremist activity.
Despite failing to confirm her identity initially, the FBI placed Crowder under physical surveillance, added her to federal watchlists, monitored her at airports while she traveled, and referred her case for prosecution before confirming her identity. The referral was ultimately based on mistaken identity.
The documents were obtained as part of Senator Paul’s ongoing investigation into how federal watchlists and aviation security programs are used. Last year, the committee held a hearing about the now-ended Quiet Skies Program. During that hearing, Mark Crowder—a Federal Air Marshal and Christine Crowder’s husband—testified that his colleagues were ordered to surveil his wife and family during their travels.
Key findings from the released records include:
– The FBI opened its investigation after receiving a tip from a former friend of Crowder. Initial checks returned negative results for geolocation data and facial recognition matches and found no criminal history.
– The agency determined it needed to interview Crowder but still recommended placing her on watchlists and assigning Expanded Selectee status.
– Agents physically surveilled Crowder’s residence at least four times.
– The U.S. Attorney’s Office accepted the case for prosecution based only on the tip without fully verifying her identity and suggested further social media analysis.
– More than a month after photographic evidence confirmed mistaken identity—and nearly two years into the probe—the FBI closed its investigation.
Senator Paul said: “A free society cannot tolerate a system in which programs and authorities intended to keep the public safe are instead weaponized against them due to mere suspicion. The records released today show how an unverified tip that the FBI failed to substantiate led to nearly two years of surveillance of an innocent American. I am grateful for FBI Director Kash Patel’s cooperation in producing these records, and I appreciate Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for ending the Quiet Skies program. The conduct revealed by these documents underscores the need to limit the power of faceless bureaucrats who have too often infringed on the rights of the people.”
FBI Director Kash Patel commented: “This case is an example of misplaced priorities and everything that went wrong with federal law enforcement in the aftermath of January 6. When a Catholic kindergarten teacher from Texas can be surveilled for more than two years simply for being in Washington, D.C., without entering the Capitol, without committing a crime, we have crossed from legitimate investigation into political overreach. That is not equal justice under the law. Senator Paul is right to demand accountability, transparency, and an end to investigations that target Americans for their beliefs or proximity rather than evidence.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem added: “In June, I ended Quiet Skies and called for a Congressional investigation to unearth further corruption at the expense of the American people and the undermining of US national security. It is clear that the Quiet Skies program was used as a political rolodex of the Biden Administration—weaponized against its political foes and exploited to benefit their well-heeled friends. The Trump Administration is returning TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public.”
Senator Rand Paul serves Kentucky in Congress where he leads oversight efforts related to government operations according to his official website. He has also chaired this Senate committee previously as noted online.
A summary timeline along with original FBI documents can be viewed through Chairman Paul’s office.
