WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) joined a group of twenty-four Republican senators in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to commit to protecting agency whistleblowers who disclosed the existence of FBI records alleging a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national.

“Whistleblowers have and continue to play a vital role in exposing government misconduct at all levels.  Without whistleblowers, Congress would have never known the existence of the unclassified FD-1023 form involving an alleged multi-million dollar bribery scheme between then-Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and a foreign national,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Accordingly, we demand that you commit that no taxpayer funds will be used by DOJ or FBI to expose the identity of or retaliate against any whistleblowers,” the lawmakers continued.

Federal law prohibits agencies from retaliating against employees for whistleblowing. The senators are seeking express commitments from Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI director Chris Wray to following this law.

Earlier this month, Sen. Grassley led an effort to prevent retaliation against IRS whistleblowers who called attention to irregularities in the Hunter Biden investigation.

Along with Grassley and Johnson, today’s letter was cosigned by John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Full text of the letter follows:

July 18, 2023

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

The Honorable Merrick Garland

Attorney General

Department of Justice

The Honorable Christopher Wray

Director

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Dear Attorney General Garland and Director Wray:

We write to you today in support of the brave and courageous Department of Justice (DOJ) whistleblowers who have approached Senator Grassley’s office to disclose wrongdoing within DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).   Whistleblowers put their lives, careers, and reputations on the line to bring the truth to light. Whistleblowers have and continue to play a vital role in exposing government misconduct at all levels.  Without whistleblowers, Congress would have never known the existence of the unclassified FD-1023 form involving an alleged multi-million dollar bribery scheme between then-Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and a foreign national.

On October 13, 2022, Senator Grassley wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Attorney David Weiss with respect to whistleblower disclosures that indicated the “FBI has within its possession significant, impactful and voluminous evidence with respect to potential criminal conduct by Hunter and James Biden.”  DOJ and FBI failed to respond.

On May 3, 2023, Senator Grassley and Chairman Comer wrote to Attorney General Garland and Director Wray noting that DOJ and FBI possess an unclassified FD-1023 that describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions.

The FBI refused to even admit this document existed until Senator Grassley informed Director Wray on May 31, 2023, that he had reviewed it.

Then, on June 7, 2023, the FBI agreed to provide the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in camera access to the document.  However, the FBI only provided the unclassified document to the House in a classified facility and with significant redactions.

On June 12, 2023, Senator Grassley spoke on the Senate Floor and noted, based on legally protected whistleblower disclosures, that the FD-1023 provided to the House redacted reference to 17 recordings, which included 15 recordings between the foreign national and Hunter Biden and two recordings between the foreign national and then-Vice President Joe Biden.

DOJ and FBI have refused to produce a fully unredacted version of the FD-1023 to either the Senate or the House.  Getting a full and complete 1023 is critical for the American people to know and understand the true nature of the document and to hold DOJ and FBI accountable.

Whistleblowers are brave men and women who perform an invaluable public service and must be protected.  Accordingly, we demand that you commit that no taxpayer funds will be used by DOJ or FBI to expose the identity of or retaliate against any whistleblowers.  Please respond no later than August 1, 2023 with your commitment to do so.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

United States Senator

Ron Johnson

United States Senator

John Barrasso, M.D.

United States Senator

Mike Braun

United States Senator

Ted Budd

United States Senator

Kevin Cramer

United States Senator

Josh Hawley

United States Senator

Rick Scott

United States Senator

John Cornyn

United States Senator

Michael S. Lee

United States Senator

Eric S. Schmitt

United States Senator

Roger F. Wicker

United States Senator

Tommy Tuberville

United States Senator

Ted Cruz

United States Senator

Cynthia M. Lummis

United States Senator

Marsha Blackburn

United States Senator

Roger Marshall, M.D.

United States Senator

Cindy Hyde-Smith

United States Senator

Lindsey O. Graham

United States Senator

Mike Crapo

United States Senator

James E. Risch

United States Senator

Deb Fischer

United States Senator

Bill Hagerty

United States Senator

AGENDA

07-24-2023 Agenda Attachment:

07-10-2023 Memo Attachment:

A.

ORDINANCE F-2023-11 An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Beane Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Beane Discussion Date: 8/14/2023 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller

F-2023-11 Attachment:

A.

ORDINANCE F-2023-10 AMENDED An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of Evansville Authorizing Transfers of Appropriations, Additional Appropriations and Repeal and Re-Appropriation of Funds for Various City Funds Sponsor(s): Beane Discussion Led By: Finance Chair Beane Discussion Date: 7/24/2023 Notify: Russ Lloyd, Jr., Controller

F-2023-10 Amended Attachment:

B.	ORDINANCE R-2023-17 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 5010 Carriage Dr Owner: Lechwe Scott Distribution, LLC Requested Change: C1 to C4 w/ UDC Ward: 1 Trockman Representative: Dan Hermann, Lechwe Holdings, LLC

R-2023-17 Attachment:

C.	ORDINANCE R-2023-18 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 2104 E Division St Owner: Raul Rivero Requested Change: C1 to R1 Ward: 3 Heronemus Representative: Raul Rivero

R-2023-18 Attachment:

D.	ORDINANCE R-2023-19 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 28 E Eichel Ave Owner: Daniel W Vincent & Rhonda C Wolf Requested Change: M2 to R2 Ward: 6 Brinkmeyer Representative: Krista Lockyear, Stoll, Keenon, Ogden, PLLC

R-2023-19 Attachment:

E.

ORDINANCE R-2023-20 An Ordinance to Rezone Certain Real Estate in the City of Evansville, State of Indiana, More Commonly Known as 59-61 Adams Ave, 65-67 Adams Ave & 69 Adams Ave Owner: SS & K, LLC Requested Change: R2 & C4 w/ UDC to C4 w/ UDC Ward: 4 Burton Representative: Krista Lockyear, Stoll, Keenon, Ogden, PLLC

R-2023-20 Attachment:

A.

RESOLUTION C-2023-17 A Preliminary Resolution of the Evansville City Council Declaring an Economic Revitalization Area for Property Tax Phase-In for the Installation of New Equipment 2301 St. George Rd (Fisher Dynamics, Inc) Sponsor(s): Heronemus, Mosby, Koehler Lindsey, Burton Discussion Led By: President Heronemus Discussion Date: 7/24/2023 Notify: Bob Grewe, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership

C-2023-17 Attachment:

A.	THE NEXT MEETING of the Common Council will be Monday, August 14, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.

B.	TOURISM UPDATE; Alexis Berggren, Visit Evansville

C.	ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS

A.

City Council Budget Hearings will be held Monday, August 14th and Tuesday, August 15th at 3:00 p.m. Time will also be allotted for Friday, August 18th at 2:00 p.m. if needed.  Joint Department Hearings will be held Wednesday, August 16th at 3:00 p.m.  All meetings will be held in Room 301.  Public input will not be permitted at this time, but will be available at a later date.  City Council will simply be receiving information from Department Heads.

By Marilyn Odendahl, The Indiana Citizen

JULY 20, 2023

Monday evening in Versailles, population 2,167, the courthouse square offered the kind of placid, picturesque, small-town setting that makes city dwellers sigh with envy.

The air was still and the sky was gently brushed with hints of pastels as the sun began its lazy descent over the horizon. A few stray dog walkers and a couple pushing a stroller meandered along the sidewalks while a handful of pickup trucks and a yellow fire engine ambled through the streets.

The revving engines, loud music, clogged roadways and the constant bustle of people common to urban centers were replaced by quiet and peace. 

“I think we just get overshadowed by people in the city,” said Deborah Morin. “They seem to think that that’s all there is. Well, we have a different way of life.”

Morin and her husband, Dan, were in Versailles to participate in the Republican Party caucus to select the new representative for House District 67. Others at the caucus, including the candidates, echoed her sentiments about preserving Indiana’s small communities and giving rural residents an equal voice in state government. 

“It’s just a different way of life,” Morin continued. “We want to preserve that and have someone that we send (to the Statehouse) to honor that and to speak up for us.” 

The caucus tapped the young North Vernon Republican, J. Alex Zimmerman, an attorney who chose to move his family from Indianapolis to rural southeastern Indiana almost three years ago.

His stump speech championed traditional conservative Republican values – pro law enforcement, pro military, pro school choice and pro life – and called attention to the importance of the district’s rural heritage.

Zimmerman said he wants the state to invest in its rural communities so more young families, like his, will settle in small towns and “bring jobs, housing and development” as well as “ultimately increasing the tax revenue” of the district. 

“I chose to live here,” Zimmerman told the caucus members. “I want southeast Indiana to be better, and I know all of us do too.” 

Advocating for the Heartland

Zimmerman was one of four candidates vying for the open House seat. The vacancy was created when former Rep. Randy Frye, who was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 2010, resigned July 8 due to “multiple health issues.”

Because Frye stepped aside mid-term, his replacement was selected by the Republican precinct members from House District 67.

The district stretches across a swath of rural Indiana, covering Jennings, Jefferson and Ripley counties, and extends into southern Decatur County to include the towns of Millhousen and Westport. Madison anchors the district with 12,266 residents while tiny outposts like Holton, population 422, and Deputy, population 34, dot the landscape. 

Zimmerman was not only the youngest of the four candidates vying for the open House seat, he was a relative newcomer to the area. He and his wife moved to North Vernon and opened their individual law offices in late 2020. 

The other candidates were Deanna Burkart, a member of the Decatur County Council, Pamela Crozier, a member of the Jefferson County Council, and Lisa Seng Shadday, a former candidate for the General Assembly.

Zimmerman acknowledged his youth but emphasized his experience. He is a graduate of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and the attorney for Jennings County. Most importantly, he worked for the Senate Republicans in the Statehouse for six years, rising to deputy majority attorney.

The one thing he learned from his Statehouse experience is that he will be the most junior member of the House majority. In addition, he will be starting in the middle of a term, so he will not get the benefit of having an orientation or enjoy the camaraderie that comes from being a part of a freshman class of legislators.

Speaking after his selection Monday, Zimmerman was focused on his agenda. He wants to streamline state government to benefit constituents and communities rather than what he has seen as the government working “harder against the people instead of working for the people.”

Also, he wants to bring state dollars to rural Indiana.

“We do a good job of incentivizing rural development around Indianapolis or Jeffersonville or Fort Wayne or South Bend,” Zimmerman said, “but we don’t see a lot of that in the rural areas.”

He said he would like to see more push for rural development but conceded, “What that looks like, I don’t exactly know.” 

First ballot

Once he decided to run in the caucus, Zimmerman launched a determined campaign. He focused on the caucus voters, visiting and calling them to introduce himself and discuss the issues.

The Morins are precinct members from Jennings County. In phone conversations and face-to-face meetings, the couple quizzed all four candidates on a variety of topics such as which legislative committees they would like to serve.

Dan Morin noted the House hopefuls were not much different in their political ideals. All were on the same side of “hot button issues” like abortion and school choice and “the need for a rural community to have good representation in the state.”

“We had a good feel for what they intended to do and how well we thought they would do the job,” he said, adding, in his opinion, any one of the candidates would have been a good representative.

To win the caucus, the candidate needed to capture a simple majority of the votes (50% plus 1). Zimmerman won on the first ballot getting the 26 votes to send him to the Statehouse. When his selection was announced, the caucus members cheered and applauded.

Kyle Hupfer, chair of the Indiana Republican Party, said every caucus has a different dynamic and explaining how the members reach their decisions can be difficult. 

Since 1973, a total of 131 members of the General Assembly have been elected through the caucus system, according to the Capitol & Washington database. Currently, the Statehouse has 31 members who entered the legislature through the caucus system.

Monday’s caucus started at 6 p.m. in the Ripley County Courthouse Annex. Each candidate was introduced by a supporter in a two minute speech then was given three minutes to talk to the room packed shoulder-to-shoulder with 49 voting caucus members. The candidates stood at the podium, outlining their beliefs and legislative agenda, and then stopped when a party official shouted, “Time!”

Jeanie Hahn, former Jennings County Republican Party chair, introduced Zimmerman. She echoed others on two themes – the importance of rural communities and the qualifications of all the candidates.

“We have small cities and small towns. That’s the way we like it,” Hahn said. “So we need someone to go to Indianapolis and fight for us.” 

From his vantage point, Hupfer sees the state making investments in rural areas. 

“If you look at what’s been going on, there’s a significant flow of dollars to rural communities,” Hupfer said. “Every single county now is part of a regional development that have been getting dollars out of READI (Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative) grants and then those regions are deciding the best way to deploy them.”

Hupfer noted along with bringing a rural voice to the Statehouse, Zimmerman will also inject some youthful energy to the House majority. The young attorney, greeting well-wishers and patiently answering reporters’ questions following the caucus vote, seemed to reflect a generational shift within the Grand Old Party.

Zimmerman championed mainstay GOP issues such as advocating schools stick to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. “No more critical race theory and no teaching about gender issues in our schools,” he said.

But, when discussing the Indiana’s future, he pointed to the need for renewable energy. The state has “no framework for solar or wind energy” even as utilities converting their coal-fired plants, he said.

In seeing energy as a pressing issue for the Hoosier state, he highlighted the connection between rural and urban. Indiana’s plans will have to keep places like Versailles vibrant while also ensuring what helps one region does not harm another.

“I hope to be part of that conversation,” Zimmerman said, “so that it benefits not just southeast Indiana but the whole state.”