Sen. Charles E. Grassley is pressing the FBI to explain the reasoning for its newly revealed probe into the conservative group Concerned Women for America, The Washington Times has learned.

The FBI‘s review of the pro-life women’s organization has prompted an outcry from the group’s leadership and others concerned about law enforcement and intelligence community surveillance of Americans.

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The FBI determined in July 2016 that there was nothing to investigate regarding Concerned Women for America after a “charity assessment” for potential “embezzlement of non-profit organizations/corporate fraud,” according to a document that the FBI revealed in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Cato Institute. . . .

Mr. Grassley, Iowa Republican, wrote to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland to obtain an unredacted copy of the FBI‘s determination. The senator said he wants to know why the bureau scrutinized the conservative group and what else the FBI may be watching.

“Based on the unredacted information that’s been made public to-date, I’m concerned about the basis upon which the FBI initiated an assessment of CWA and the authorities it relied on to do so,” Mr. Grassley wrote in the letter sent last week. “Unfortunately, as the country has witnessed in the recent past, including the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the Larry Nassar investigation, the FBI has repeatedly failed in its mission and abused its authority. The federal government wields immense surveillance ability and Congress, especially [the Judiciary Committee], have an obligation to ensure that it is used properly and in accordance with all laws and regulations.”

Mr. Grassley’s office said Monday that it had not received a response to the letter.

Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance said the revelation of the FBI‘s probe has prompted her and the organization’s officials to reevaluate their positions on surveillance-related issues. Concerned Women for America has traditionally supported law enforcement and the intelligence community, but Ms. Nance said the newly revealed probe has raised doubts about the government’s actions.

“You want to believe that the people of your intelligence agencies and at the top of the FBI are credible, and you want to believe that they are only looking at Americans with probable cause, but I’ve learned that’s not necessarily the case. That’s what this has taught me,” Ms. Nance said. “What this has taught me is that the FBI does not need probable cause to snoop on Americans, and that is a wake-up call.”

Ms. Nance said the FBI should have used its resources on the sexual abuse investigation of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar instead of wasting time on her group of church women.

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Mr. Eddington said the Cato Institute has mounted a widespread effort since 2019 through FOIA requests to unearth how the FBI and the federal government choose to keep tabs on domestic civil society groups of all categories, including religious, professional, ethnic, academic, environmental and political organizations…

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(Excerpt from The Washington Times. Article by Ryan Lovelace. Photo Credit: Claudio Schwarz, Unsplash).