Recordings Capture Brutal FBI Tactics to Recruit a Potential Informant
By recording his encounters with the federal agents harassing him, Jabar Ali Refaie effectively ran a one-man counterintelligence program against the FBI.
Trevor Aaronson
Trevor Aaronson is an award-winning investigative journalist. His forthcoming book “Bad Guys,” about the FBI, will be published February 2027 by Grand Central Publishing in the U.S. and Monoray in the U.K. He is the author of “The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism,” and has created several audio documentaries, including the Audible Original series “Pulse: The Untold Story” and the iHeart series “Alphabet Boys.” A Peabody Award winner and two-time Livingston Awards finalist, he focuses on abuses of power in law enforcement and national security.
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Trial and Terror
The FBI Pressured a Lonely Young Man Into a Bomb Plot. He Tried to Back Out. Now He’s Serving Life in Prison.
The alleged terrorist said he went along with the plot because he was afraid that FBI agents, posing as ISIS members, would kill his family.
Paid FBI Informant Leading Counterterror Case Ran Wire Fraud Scams on the Side
A confidential informant who helped ensnare three Florida men as ISIS supporters in an FBI sting was simultaneously running stranded traveler scams.
One Year After Pulse Massacre in Orlando, FBI Hasn’t Publicly Addressed Its Counterterrorism Failures
In the aftermath of the Orlando attack the FBI promised a full review of the bureau’s threat assessment system. There's no sign anything has changed.
Trial and Terror
The U.S. Has Released 417 Alleged Terrorists Since 9/11. The Latest Owned an Islamic Bookstore.
Abdulrahman Farhane maintained that he was not involved in terrorism, but he pleaded guilty to the charges to avoid a longer prison sentence.
Better Call Bob! Mueller Is the Lawyer You Bring In to Handle Politically Toxic Situations
The former FBI director, now the special counsel overseeing the U.S. investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, is known for taking charge of big problems.
Don’t Lionize James Comey. The FBI Did Some Terrible Things Under Him.
When Comey was its director, the FBI used undercover agents and informants in stings against hapless terror suspects, masqueraded as journalists, and fought against encryption technologies.
How an Undercover FBI Agent Ended Up in Jail After Pretending to Be a Journalist
An FBI agent named Charles Johnson spent nearly a year making a fake documentary on the Bundy family, but he wasn’t finished pretending to be a journalist.
The Bizarre Story Behind the FBI's Fake Documentary About the Bundy Family
The FBI spent almost a year making a fake documentary, trying to get Cliven Bundy, his family, and their supporters to incriminate themselves on tape.
Trial and Terror
The Government’s Own Data Shows Country of Origin Is a Poor Predictor of Terrorist Threat
Jeff Sessions has worked since at least 2015 to build a case for limiting Muslim immigration. His evidence is ambiguous at best.