Tom Tiffany speaks during a campaign event in Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – Rep. Tom Tiffany’s recently proposed bill to ensure defendants receive proper treatment from the DOJ known as the FAIR Act officially passed the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
According to a press release, the bill would require all Department of Justice (DOJ) law enforcement officers, agents, and employees to record both custodial and non-custodial interviews of U.S. citizens who are suspected of having committed a criminal offense.
Rep. Tom Tiffany spoke about the importance of the bill and how it will help hold federal officials accountable saying, “The DOJ should serve every U.S. citizen with open, fair, and impartial justice; instead, they are weaponizing their power against the American people. The FAIR Act will hold the DOJ accountable and ensure fairness for criminal defendants.”
These practices were most notably used against Lieutenant General Michael Flynn during Special Council Robert Muller’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in 2016, which ended with no evidence of collusion being presented. In 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to charges that he “willfully and knowingly” made false statements to a federal official, which were dropped in 2020, not long after evidence of handwritten notes by the agent showed that one of the goals of the investigation was to “get him to lie so we can prosecute him or get him fired.”
✅ PASSED: The FAIR Act.
The FAIR Act would require DOJ employees to record interviews of Americans suspected of having committed a criminal offense.
Right now, they don't. And rely on handwritten notes instead.
📽️ WATCH this explanation from @RepTiffany. pic.twitter.com/hiCIxgnVH6
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 18, 2024
Wisconsin along with 27 other U.S. states currently require the recording of custodial interviews in some form.
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