Letter to the Hon. Christopher Wray - Grassley, Warner Decry Opaque, Drawn-Out Review of Ghaisar Case

Letter

Dear Director Wray:

We write today to once again request an update on the status of the Bijan Ghaisar investigation. The FBI has failed to provide information on this investigation, which has been ongoing since November 2017, to us, our colleagues, or the public. The FBI's slow pace and lack of transparency are weakening the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

As you know, on November 17, 2017, two U.S. Park Service police officers shot and killed Bijan C. Ghaisar.[1] Three days after the shooting occurred, the FBI took over the investigation and has released virtually no information since.[2] Family members and the press have instead relied on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to obtain simple details such as whether Mr. Ghaisar had a weapon when he was killed, which, according to one FOIA production, he did not.[3] Fairfax County police, who assisted Park Service police in the pursuit, released video footage of the shooting in January 2018.[4]

The FBI's silence in this case is not exclusive to public comments or communications with the family. Thus far, the FBI has refused to provide any meaningful information to either Senator Grassley or Senator Warner's office despite several inquiries and multiple communications. To date, the FBI has also not responded to Senator Grassley's letter dated March 22, 2019, which asked the FBI to provide important information on the resources and personnel devoted to the Ghaisar investigation.[5] After 18 months, in which the FBI has offered virtually no updates or information, this case must be resolved for the good of the Ghaisar family and the public.[6]

Accordingly, please respond to Senator Grassley's March 22, 2019 letter, and provide both our offices with an update on the status of the investigation by no later than July 2, 2019. If you have any questions, please contact Dario Camacho of Senator Grassley's staff at 202-224-3744 or Courtney Lam of Senator Warner's staff at 202-224-2023.

Sincerely,

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