Rep. Duncan Hunter is seeking information on whether the FBI was involved in a botched ransom paid for the release of then-captive Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl,
Fox News.com reports.
The California Republican wrote in a recent letter to Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz he has learned "non-DoD organizations, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), undertook the recovery mission."
According to Hunter, the FBI arrived at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where it "awaited Bergdahl's arrival following some form of discussion about facilitating a payment."
He never showed. The person who took the "payment" ran with the money.
Bergdahl was later traded for five Taliban commanders in a trade that drew controversy since Bergdhal stands accused of deserting his post before being captured and
faces a court martial.
It is against U.S. policy to pay ransom for captives, so the "payment" is likely to be described another way by the White House, Hunter's chief of staff Joe Kasper told Fox News.
Hunter is calling for a "thorough and substantive review" of whether the FBI was indeed involved and also questions the agency's authority since he was a member of the military rather than a civilian, according to Fox.
Kasper said the main concern is the FBI's ability to handle such a situation.
"They don't have the assets. They don't have the resources," Kasper said.
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